In the first round of the WTT Singles World Cup group stage held on April 15, Beijing time, Japanese table tennis player Tomokazu Haramoto won 3-1 against Gacchini and started his World Cup journey. Despite this, Tomokazu Zhangmoto's performance was not entirely satisfactory, and after the match, Chinese coach Dong Qimin expressed obvious dissatisfaction with his performance.
Tomokazu is ranked 9th in the world, while Italy's Gacchini is ranked 63rd, and there is a clear gap between the two. In the first game of the match, Tomokazu Zhang showed his advantage and won easily 11-5. In the second game, Tomokazu Zhang led 8-4 at one point, but then Gacini scored consecutive points to close the score to 8-7. After a crucial pause, Tomokazu regained the rhythm of the game and won 11-7.
The third game became the turning point of the game. Tomokazu was initially 3-6 behind, but then chased to 6-all. At the critical moment, he lost four points in a row and faced a 6-10 disadvantage. In the face of pressure, Tomokazu Zhang showed tenacious fighting spirit, scoring six points in a row to complete a stunning comeback 12-10.
Although he lost 6-11 in the fourth game, Tomokazu Zhangmoto, who won 3-1 in the end, had a solemn expression and was obviously not satisfied with his performance. Considering Gatchini's relative weakness, Tomokazu Zhang fell behind by a wide margin in the first game, a performance that raised concerns about his overall form at this World Cup.
Tomokazu Zhangmoto, who finished runner-up at the 2019 World Cup, made it to the final when he lost to China's Fan Zhendong. With the Paris Olympics fast approaching, Tomokazu Haramoto hopes to win at least one gold medal in the men's singles, mixed doubles and men's team events. In addition, Japanese table tennis star Kasumi Ishikawa also expressed his hope that the Japanese team will win at least two gold medals at the Olympics. Under the pressure of high expectations, Tomokazu Haramoto's every game is under great scrupulous attention.