FULL MATCH | Tomokazu Harimoto vs Simon Gauzy | MS R16 | #WTTHongKong 2025

Good serve to get the third ball in quickly. Ah, yes. That's right. He is the great rival to the Chinese fans. It was fairly specific in recent history. It wasn't to Team Japan, it was specifically to Tomokazu Harimoto, who's been quite flamboyant in some of his successes. Funny thing is, he's been wildly popular throughout China for some time. Fluent in the language, understands the 20s as well. But this backhand, the pressure. Simone is going to do everything he can to make that opening attack count. They both have a lot of gears, but Tomo's just tend to be closer to the table. Taking a chance, the opening again, quality, and it's the follow-up to stay near the table. Simone's coming to the table with a clear plan. Tomo's got a very efficient game, and even from the baseline, if it doesn't have a low trajectory and a lot of spin, Simone will take advantage. Can't ask for a much better start for a player who's, well, never beaten Tomokazu Harimoto. In 2024, he was up 2-0 in a best-of-five and was beaten 11-9 in the decider. That's the closest one they've ever played. Simone's a bit of an inspiration for many, not just in his creativity, but for his second win in his career. In the sense that after an injury about five or six years ago now, he took some time out of the game. It's a little bit of a decrease, and he's climbed right back up to be in the top 20 in the world. There will be a roar. He's known for that positive encouragement, reinforcement here, the upward spiral Tomo creates. And a change-up to the short forehand cradles that ball. Much more common to see something middle, half-long to the backhand side, just varying it up in that way. Very curious to see if there were percentages on the screen right now, if the fan vote could happen in real time, what they think would happen in game one. At the second towel break, a little reminder, the fan vote was 65% behind Simone Gauzy. That's a statement to how big France has become in the table tennis world after last summer in Paris. All kids staying ready. Close attention. An unusual step off this wide ball. Take a look at the angle here. Good response this time around, shallow and spinny. A little slide there from the right foot of Simone. Seems to be fine. On the table, makes his way back in. It was unlikely, but he never gave up, continuing to generate spin from below the table. On the chase here, Tomo on top of every bounce. That right there shows confidence in the spin on the backhand. Man, what a rally. A little break off the net, a bit of fortune for the French showman, and he's got five game points to put the first one in the bag. Pocketed Simone in fashion. A little bit deeper serve, heavy rotation on it. Again, the axis, there are an infinite amount of options. Up to the receiver to figure that out. Good read just inside the baseline, stolen. He's quick to get this. It's a very uncomfortable place to be. Just a little bit of height, and that's enough for him to sneak in. Committing to the backhand here, the bait. Tomo leaves him to pull over wide to the forehand side. The head nod of Simone acknowledging that, saying, okay, well played. A little fortune, edge of the racket here. And a lot of apology. Tomo's as polite as they come, as fair as they come. It's been a long time since we had our ask a pro anything, but Tomo said it releases nerves, helps him with the tension. A lukewarm serve, and right there, one of the spinniest backhands in the game. Simone capitalizes. And the fortune comes back, a little table tennis karma out here. Gentleman at the table. Clever idea. He's played that serve short to the forehand a few times. This time it seemed to have less rotation on it. Seemed like he was potentially pre-committed to finish the rally quickly. I was expecting some long rallies, but his dad and sparring partner watch on. And Tomo's off to a good start in this game. Look back at coach, just saying, got it, keep spinning the ball. That's what the body language was, and the spin is paying off, having talked to Kishi, Seya Kishikawa, before the new men's head coach, as of earlier this year. Medalist for Japan, some of the biggest events. What a save. Oh, just out of reach. Ball kid, danger, wow. Simone's between the barriers here. Alexi's shoes off, kicking back and watching this. A lot of support for the French side. Watch where Simone goes on this one. Good save, but it's shallow, so Tomo's got the power. Wow, stepped over the barrier. Spares the ball kid. Simone, that is awareness and quick thinking. Little bit of side swipe action on it as Simone commits early once again. Quick decisions, just like you'll see from Alexi, who's got Wang Chuqin in the next round, quarterfinals. This is the other half of the bracket, though. And as Tomokazu sets up five game points to level the playing field, he's looking to send the exact same message scoreline that was given to him. And he does. Well now, a dominant game return. They're constantly changing their tactics and patterns. Ooh, you want to see it come down on the table. Fortune going both ways in this one. Simone behind the table, though, has to recover a net. Left with that chop near the ground. Good side spin, just guides that. The racket head up as he swipes across. Swipes left, doesn't mean he doesn't like it. Just adding some side spin. Could have been something in the bio. Pressure from early on. Tomokazu staying right at that baseline. Timing. Seemed like a surprising push to many. Looking for the baseline, but just a little bit loose. Fine margins here, what's required? By the way, the winner here will be playing the winner of Felix and Hugo Calderano. Way in over the table, that forehand flick. There's no looking back when you go for that shot, because it's tough to recover. But quality of the here and now, enough to finish the point. Watch out ball, kids. Aw, man. The recovery for a moment. Tomo's doing an excellent job. Now Tomo has one of the most effective drop shots in the game. Side spin. And then the exact opposite way with not quite as much. If there was inside-out side spin more so on this shot, Simone's ball would have carried back onto the table. The drop shot that I talked about with Tomo, we'll talk about that in a bit. You don't see it so often because I think players learn their lesson. They don't lob to Tomo very often. Drop shots, this is one of the most common questions. When someone's that far back, why don't they just dink it? Well. Get ready. Power play and it's still in. Oh, Simone. The lawnmower starting strawberry chop sails a bit long. And after winning 12 of the last 16 points, he wins one more. The reason you don't dink it is the ball's kicking way far away. And it gives the opponent a chance to come running back in and gain good positioning at the table. Not to mention, with all the spin on these lobs, it's incredibly difficult to control gently. Playing the odds out here. When winning is your job, you put a fair amount of time into figuring out how to do it. Everybody's got to make a living. Food on the table here. Side spinny backhand on the table in that rally. Slow spin from Simone. Again, game number one. Simone was much closer to the table. He was very aggressive. Serve and receiver crucial though. This is the right start. This is what Simone needs. Again, the initiative. Easy to save sitting here. Simply a compliment for him finding the opening from an uncomfortable position. It's much more common to see, especially in the men's game, the opening with the backhand because you can generate more wrist action and racket speed. Therefore, spin from over the table with the backhand. Slows it down a little bit. A wrench in the system. Once you start speeding up and suddenly the treadmill slows down, it's tough to stay on the timing. Simone, very clever, and he's within one. Continuing on his streak, four points in a row. Well now. From sunshiny weather to dark rain clouds and thunder, they go from gentle, delicate vacation touch to explosive power on both sides in the open rally, grunt for grunt. And it's Simone looking down, curious about humidity and traction and how they work together or not. Once again, the slow spin, the arcing shot. Versatility in that backhand. One deep, the arcing slow one right to the baseline. Deep again, just a different timing. Just getting his pushups in in between. From time to time you might see him do some crunches or planks. Got to keep the fitness up after all. Interesting. A lot of ways to channel energy. Oh, the slide. There you go. Wow. Full commitment extension on the step around. The slow, shallow spin. And as he turns the corner at the third towel break, it's nine all. That's one of the best ways you can handle that shot to get the opponent passive. Simone knows this and knows it well. Once coming into Tomo's blade on the drop, descending. Serve success, 50-50. Gee, unit. Could go either way. One and one would send them to deuce. Sort of crazy the score came to this, considering the first two games were 11-5. Just the timing, as close as can be, but a wonderful rally here. Both players and Tomo on top of the table once again. He hasn't backed up. This is one of the key factors. Tomo finds his way to get right back into the table. That's where you want to be if you can. Asking for a little permission to clean himself. That is, clean the table himself. And clean himself right after. Here we go. Game point. Tomo Kazi. First strawberry and he's way back. Touch. There was a little bit of caution on the strawberry chop because the time before he sent it sailing. Back for game number four. Tomo Kazi in the lead with the serves. Tomo's broken the pattern for which side of the table wins. What's it going to take for Simone? Variation in the service game, receive game. Some of those side swipes have been effective. Change of pace has been effective. Staying close. Let's see. This is a good distance. You don't have to be as close as Tomo is. It might be too far out of the comfort zone. Look at that shot. The first forehand. Didn't lift it up to the forehead. Just guiding it forward. A very unusual shot. So much spin. Simone getting low, using those legs that we saw. Those statue-like legs to spring up and twist into that. Right on top of it, shorter rallies. For a guy who loves to rally. An artist, you could say. Over the years, Simone has put up some of the best rallies. Last year, probably had about three of them with Liang Jingkun. Seems to be his best partner for that. And right now, it's as topsy-turvy as can be, but the tactics is clear as day. Fourth ball. When he's on receive, if it's not the opening, it's going to be the push to get a push back or get something that he can confidently attack. 12 of the last 16 points for Simone Gauzy. Feels like we just saw the opposite stat not long ago. Towel break and you can't ask for a better score if you're Simone. Tomo, having a little FOMO on the scoreboard right now. But why? It's good to watch, but it's a little surprising. Was it because of the FOMO thing? Wanted Tomo to be here too? Well, can't recall a point that Simone has won from back there when he lobs and he quickly shakes his head to say, why am I back here? Right. If you're on the bench for Simone, there's the head. That's the head nod from Coach Nat Molan saying, yeah, when you get the opening, commit to it, make it count. Stay close, put pressure on. Ooh, tough way to win a point, a little fortune as Simone raises his hand for that. He extends his lead back to five. The forehand flick inside the table, some ITTK, some instant table tennis karma. The balls are round after all, so what goes around comes right back around. Surprise, surprise, baseline to baseline, a long serve, Gutsy, and the placement. Gutsy goes in with a five-point lead, three points away from leveling the playing field once again. Deception on the serve, he's so smooth, the way he guides under that ball. It's tough to tell if he's lifting at the point of contact or just after. A lot of ways to deceive opponents, plural. A little wiggle here and there. And turning to the simple serve, the backhand. Simone does not stop, the Go-Z train goes on. One parallel with sidespin, seven game points. And a back edge to stay alive. Simone backing up behind the table makes me curious. It's easy for me to say why sitting here. Yes, Tomo has incredible speed and timing and comes down on the ball, but I think Simone's going to have to continue to take his chances from close. And the service game, incredibly effective this time around. Well, this is one type of service variation that will not help out Simone's cause on the scoreboard, but he's got to take some risks. He has the whole time. They're not all going to come down. The opponent's half of the table, that is. Good change of pace again, slowing it down with the spin. A step behind the table makes us very uncomfortable. For Tomo, these are two shots that are inside the baseline by a bit, but still have a lot of spin. Seen players look down at their rackets quite a bit, again. A little bit human. It's a fortune coming back for Tomo here, who's off to an excellent start. At least in game number five. But this serve, serve and receive is so important because players are so strong when they get an opportunity at this level. They don't let it slip. It's fine margins. Quick action for, again, this time, I'd say a much better receive, of course, than the one before Tomo, really reading it well. And the reaction time, the footwork, Simone, slides over and it's three points apiece out of the first towel break. A taste of his own medicine. He's playing Simone's track right now. He slowed it down. Tomo, just guiding. Sixteen shots in this rally. It looks quite different because, of course, Tomo's on top of the table just guiding, but slightly less aggressive paid off. The strawberry, well handled on the other side. Haven't seen too many of these from Simone. Backhand with the tip down and the wrist up. 360, hoping to curve it back on. A little chole from Tomo. When's the last time you saw them equally distant from the table in a rally? When's the last time you saw Tomo a full step behind the table and a timeout on Tomo's side? Tomo's close to the table, yes, but he hasn't turned for many big forehands. He's playing the efficient game, trying to control and right out of the timeout. Does just that. Controls the spin coming in. When you feel like you're opening the door, creating the opportunity, the first two shots from Simone, an excellent setup. Start to the point. Tomo brings it back. Low with topspin right into the elbow. Still hanging on. Remember, it's a best of seven, not a best of five. All singles matches from day one through day five will be best of seven at this event. All mixed doubles matches making its first appearance here at the WTT Finals will be best of five. Edge of the table on the spin. Even if this comes down clean, it's going to be a tough one to rally with just because of the arc alone. Long serve and a quick follow-up attack with that backhand. Simone right back in this. That fan vote was not a coincidence. France is having an all-time high of table tennis right now. A little fortune here and Tomo steps in front by one. Interesting, interesting. The strawberry, but the lobberry not very helpful so far for Simone. He's one of the best lobbers in the world. We've seen some solid lobbing out here this week, but his attacks are winning him points. Takes his chances. I think it's a much better way to go down in some senses or at least have a point taken against you. It's Tomo Kazu with three game points for three to two lead. Oh man, dismissive. The satisfaction of that short grunt and the burst of energy as that backhand just flies past. Third towel break, one game point saved. Simone getting that elbow up to create as much racket speed as he can with that backhand and it pays off. Still two game points for Tomo. Tomo takes the game eleven to eight, a three to two lead. Tomo one game away from the quarterfinals. Soft hands to quick opening and Tomo's there with a good response. This is a different level. This is Tomo playing a game that's confident and risky against a game that's been very effective for Simone Gauzy. Toe momentum. Tomo Joe and a Tomote. This is definitely on the early side in a good way. So right out of the timeout it's Tomo with another point. Trying to take this and build on it here. Simone it's now or never. He's in a must win situation. Every game for the rest of this match if there will be another game in this match. Commitment on the backhand moves in quickly. This is what footwork is all about. People newer to table tennis are like, wait, you lift weights? You do leg exercises? Why? That's why. A lot of reasons at this level. Just look at the quads and the legs of any of these players in the rallies. Tomo with the first towel break up 4-2. Looked like an opening from different perspectives. We'll have different opinions about that, but Simone trying. I think he took the right shot there. Subtlety once again from Simone with the spin on the serve. We've got so many interesting matchups. It's easy to get ahead of ourselves here. Simone has been wonderful this year. And Tomo's been way up at the top of the food chain for quite some time. Only occasionally out of the top five if at all. It's just so tough to remember because he spent most of his career there. And running away with it, no timeouts left. It's been that way since Simone's down 0-2. Tomo adjusts, rocks back on that left foot to create the opening for the attack. At this level of table tennis, you have to learn so fast. Every single point, you can see players treating it like they just got back a test with the teacher's markings all over it, reading to make sure that they come back and get the answer right next time around. And a break off the net from Simone, but he's rewarded for the bold play. These guys have spent a fair amount of time apologizing to each other in this match. They played some high-risk shots and a lot have come down. Still trying to remember one. It's tough when throughout your career, you've won so many points lobbing. But in this head-to-head, in this match specifically, it's a habit that's hard to break. But with the power on that backhand, even that ball might not be that hard to break. Simone ripping another backhand, narrowing the gap. Huh. Fascinating. It looked like the service toss got away from Simone in all fairness. The serve was just a safe serve to keep the ball in play. From time to time, that'll happen. Tomo now with four match points. Still in it, one save Simone. Miyu Nagasaki earlier today. Inspiration wherever you can find it. But Tomo takes it for the fifth time Tomo has beaten Simone Gauzy. I didn't see where he stopped counting, but you can count on Tomo.