Egyptian table tennis star, Hana Goda, has advanced to the quarterfinals of the ITTF Youth Championships in Romania, beating Japan’s Sachi Aoki to progress
The World No. 23 Goda began her Girls U19 singles campaign with a commanding 4–1 victory over Belgium’s Lilou Massart, setting up a round of 16 clash with Japan’s Sachi Aoki.
Aoki struck first, taking the opening set 11–7, but Goda quickly found her rhythm, winning the next two sets 11–4 and 11–6 to seize the lead. The Japanese fought back, dominating the fourth set 11–2 and edging the fifth 13–11 despite Goda holding two game points.
Refusing to yield, Goda rallied in the sixth set 11–8 to force a decider. In a tense final game, Goda began on skates leading 6-1 but Aoki recovered, from there, the match swung from 7–7 to 10–10, the Egyptian held her nerve, saving a match point at 9–10.
Goda then clawed her way back into the lead, sealing victory 13–11 with a thrilling serve which Aoki spilt into the net.
“I’m shaking right now,” Goda said after the thrilling match. “It was a crazy match. Aoki is such a strong player—I had watched her earlier games and knew her serves were excellent.”
“Before the match I felt a lot of pressure, wondering how I was going to play against her. I’m honestly grateful I was able to turn it around. I just tried to stay focused, and I’m happy I was consistent enough to come away with the win.
With the 4–3 triumph, Goda booked her place in the quarterfinals, where she will face China’s Qin Yuxuan.
