Thailand's Orawan Paranang stuns Sun Yingsha as Zhou Qihao beats Tomokazu Harimoto at China Smash

The final WTT Grand Smash of the season has turned into a week of upsets in Beijing. Thailand's Orawan Paranang, a qualifier ranked 101st in the world, knocked out world No.1 and two-time defending champion Sun Yingsha in the women's singles second round on Wednesday, 7 October. A day later, China's Zhou Qihao beat third seed Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan in straight games to become the hosts' only man in the quarter-finals, which are being played on Friday, 9 October.

A night to remember for Thai table tennis

Orawan lost the first game 8-11 but then took control, winning 11-4, 12-10, 12-10 to complete a 3-1 victory at Shougang Park. She had lost all three of her previous meetings with Sun and had won only one game against her in total, according to Infinity Sport. The result made her the second Thai player to reach the last 16 of a WTT Grand Smash, and the first player from outside China to beat Sun in almost two years.

Her run ended on Thursday, when Japan's 14th seed Honoka Hashimoto beat her in straight games in the round of 16. Even so, the win over Sun is one of the biggest results ever for a South-East Asian player on the WTT tour.

Zhou Qihao sweeps Harimoto

China's men's draw had been weakened before a ball was hit, with Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong both withdrawing through injury, according to Chinese media. Wang was seen courtside supporting his team-mates. Without them, Liang Jingkun lost to Chinese Taipei's Kuo Guan-Hong, and 19-year-old Wen Ruibo was beaten in five games by Sweden's Truls Moregard.

Zhou, who needed to save two match points to beat team-mate Xiang Peng in the second round, then produced his best result of the week. He beat Harimoto 11-9, 11-8, 11-9, his first win over the Japanese star after two previous defeats. Speaking to Xinhua, Zhou said Harimoto "failed to adapt effectively" to the match. Zhou faces South Korea's ninth seed Jang Woo-jin in the quarter-finals. Japan's Sora Matsushima, who beat Kuo 3-1, also advanced.

Qualifier Zhu Sibing and a crowded women's quarter-finals

In the women's draw, Chinese qualifier Zhu Sibing, ranked 134th, beat fourth seed Kuai Man 5-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7 to reach her first Grand Smash quarter-final. Defending champion Wang Manyu edged team-mate Shi Xunyao in five games and now meets South Korea's Shin Yu-bin, who beat Hina Hayata for the first time in 11 meetings. Wang Yidi plays third seed Miwa Harimoto, and Chen Xingtong also advanced with a 3-0 win.

Singapore pair fall in the doubles

There was a Singapore interest in the men's doubles, where Izaac Quek and Koen Pang lost their quarter-final to China's Wen Ruibo and Yuan Licen. The mixed doubles final on Friday is between Chinese Taipei's Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-Ching and South Korea's top seeds Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin. China has no pair left in that event.

Beijing shares Malaysia's time zone (UTC+8), so the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the finals on Sunday, 11 October fall at convenient local times for fans in Malaysia. At the time of writing, Friday's quarter-finals were still being played.

Key takeaways

• Orawan Paranang (Thailand, world No.101) beat world No.1 Sun Yingsha 3-1 on 7 October.
• Honoka Hashimoto ended Orawan's run in the round of 16 on 8 October.
• Zhou Qihao beat Tomokazu Harimoto 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 and is China's only men's quarter-finalist.
• Qualifier Zhu Sibing knocked out fourth seed Kuai Man.
• Singapore's Izaac Quek and Koen Pang lost in the men's doubles quarter-finals.

FAQ

Who beat Sun Yingsha at China Smash 2026? Thailand's Orawan Paranang, a qualifier ranked 101st, won 3-1 in the second round on 7 October.

Why are Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong not playing in Beijing? Chinese media reported that both withdrew from the men's singles because of injury.

When are the China Smash finals? The tournament runs until Sunday, 11 October, at Shougang Park in Beijing. Beijing time is the same as Malaysia time.

Sources: Xinhua, CGTN, Infinity Sport, Sina Sports, Table Tennis England