African champion Hana Goda continued her strong showing at the 2025 ITTF World Championships, advancing to the third round of the Women’s Singles event in Doha, Qatar.
Building on her 2023 campaign in Durban, South Africa – where she exited in the second round – Goda confidently defeated Brazil’s Giulia Takahashi 4-1 on Monday, May 19, at Qatar University.
Takahashi had earlier eliminated Nigeria’s Hope Udoaka, but Goda responded with composure after losing the opening set 9–11.
From the second set, the Egyptian player took control of the match, using a blend of tactics to outmanoeuvre her opponent.
Though she faced minor resistance in the fourth set, where she fell behind twice, Goda maintained her grip on the match and closed out the encounter decisively.
She sealed the victory 4-1 (9-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7), becoming the only African woman to progress to the third round of the singles competition.
Correspondent reports that she now faces a formidable test against China’s fourth seed, Wang Yidi, in the next round.
(NAN)