WTT Contender Almaty 2023 saw dramatic upsets, including top seed Xiaoxin Yang losing to Choi Hyojoo in Women's Singles

Posted : 01 September 2023

The WTT Contender Almaty 2023 has kicked off with a bang, featuring dramatic upsets that have sent shockwaves through both the men's and women's singles events. Seeded players had their championship dreams abruptly shattered on Thursday, August 31st, making headlines aplenty.

The most significant upset in the Women's Singles bracket unfolded as top seed Xiaoxin Yang suffered a stunning 3-0 defeat at the hands of Choi Hyojoo (11-7, 11-8, 11-9). Despite her standing as the World No.11 and a previous WTT Series champion, Yang had a daunting task against her Korean counterpart, having lost their two previous encounters. Unfortunately for Yang, her losing streak extended to three matches in Almaty.

Choi displayed an impressive performance from start to finish, taking control of the match early. While Yang showed some fight in the third game, she couldn't stage a comeback, and Choi sealed a significant victory at the top of the draw. Choi, the 25-year-old left-hander, secured her spot in the round of 16, where she will face local favorite Sarvinoz Mirkadirova, who started her campaign with a commanding 3-0 win over Yousra Helmy (11-5, 11-7, 11-8).

In the other half of the draw, Li Yake made a name for herself once again by defeating Bernadette Szocs (14-12, 9-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9). Li, currently ranked 53rd in the world, turned heads with her impressive run to the final at WTT Contender Lagos 2023. She now has her sights set on an even better performance in Almaty after proving her mettle against one of the sport's top players.

Meanwhile, in the Men's Singles competition, Liang Yanning pulled off a stunning upset by securing his place in the round of 16 with a remarkable comeback win over the 2nd seed Dimitrij Ovtcharov (12-10, 5-11, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8). This result means Ovtcharov's quest for his first WTT Series title continues.

Additionally, 5th seed Quadri Aruna suffered a disappointing exit as he was defeated in straight games by World No.80 Mohamed El-Beiali (13-11, 11-9, 11-4). Furthermore, Kristian Karlsson outperformed the French superstar Alexis Lebrun (11-8, 11-13, 11-9, 11-4), adding to the day's list of unexpected outcomes.

WTT Contender Almaty 2023 saw dramatic upsets, including top seed Xiaoxin Yang losing to Choi Hyojoo in Women's Singles

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