Las Vegas brought the heat at WTT US Smash 2025, and Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) players fought back. With more than two dozen competitors, the event showcased MLTT’s rising influence and depth.

Featured Match: Nandan Naresh Pushes Ovtcharov to the Edge

In a captivating showdown at Maverick Arena, 18-year-old Nandan Naresh took on German legend and Princeton Revolution co‑owner Dimitrij Ovtcharov, pushing him tightly in a 1–3 battle. Nandan impressed with a 13–11 first-game win before narrowly falling 9–11, 10–12, and 2–11.

“That was one of the most exciting showings by an American teenager in years,” said MLTT analyst Sean O’Neill.

Champions Recap

Men’s Singles

• Champion: Wang Chuqin (CHN)
• Runner-up: Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN)
• Final Score: Wang def. Harimoto 4–0

Women’s Singles

• Champion: Zhu Yuling (CHN)
• Runner-up: Chen Yi (CHN)
• Final Score: Zhu def. Chen 4–2

MLTT Player Results – Singles Highlights

Here’s how our talent fared:

• Taehyun Kim: Reached Round 3 with wins over Jarvis and Yang Wang
• Ma Jinbao: Defeated Apolonia before losing to Gnanasekaran
• Sid & Nandan Naresh: Nandan’s clash vs Ovtcharov stole the show; duo made Men’s Doubles Round of 16
• Aditya Sareen: Entered main draw, lost to Simon Gauzy in R64
• Liam Pitchford: Beat Chen Yuanyu to reach R32; lost to Lee Sang Su 3–1
• Jishan Liang: Earned a spot in Main Draw R64—strong showing
• Xiangjing “Sean” Zhang: Entered as lucky loser, gained main-draw experience
• Edward Ly, Eugene Wang, Lubomir Pištej, Benedek Oláh, Marcos Madrid Mantilla: All delivered competitive performances
• Amy Wang: Bested Lily Zhang in R64, then lost to Jia Nan Yuan in R32
• Mo Zhang (CAN): Pushed world No. 9 Hina Hayata to five intense games—claimed two early sets before narrowly falling 2–3 in the R64  

What’s Next for MLTT

• July 2026: Season 3 schedule and tickets release
• TTTV: League’s dedicated broadcasting platform launches
• Golden Game Weekends: Fresh venues, more drama, same fierce format

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