Anna Hursey, Tom Jarvis and the Trial by Fire Against Japan's Young Power at WTT Champions Macao 2026

Opening with a 7-point winning streak, Anna Hursey (world No. 37) left Leong On Na (No. 475, wildcard) no chance. Over three games, the Welsh player allowed only 14 points in total, with the first game ending 11-1. This quick victory sent Hursey into the last 16 of WTT Champions Macao 2026 – an event belonging to the second tier of the WTT system, where players compete for 1,000 ranking points for the champion. But the real test begins when she faces Miwa Harimoto, the world No. 3 from Japan, on Thursday. Meanwhile, Tom Jarvis (No. 45), England's second-ranked player, also advanced and will face Sora Matsushima, another world No. 3 from Japan, on Wednesday at 12:05 PM UK time. One cannot deny the severity of both matches. For Hursey, the 134-place gap in the rankings is an abyss. For Jarvis, the 42-place gap is smaller but still a mountain in men's table tennis – where unpredictability is higher than in women's. Looking back at Harimoto's previous match, she beat Zeng Jian 3-0 but needed a 12-10 second game. That is a rare glimpse of vulnerability. From a development perspective, Hursey's upcoming match is not simply about winning or losing. For a 19-year-old aiming at the 2028 Olympics, a 'competitive loss' – winning a game or pushing to deuce – has more training value than beating a player outside the top 400. As for Jarvis, the chance of an upset is greater, not only because his ranking gap with Matsushima is smaller, but also because men's table tennis often produces unexpected outcomes. From my years of experience watching matches, this kind of clash cannot be judged solely by the final result. What matters is how they earn points during the first few shots of each serve sequence. If Jarvis can break 40% of Matsushima's serve points, he will drag his opponent into a tense battle. For Hursey, replicating her impressive opening streak against Leong will not happen, but she can make Harimoto move more by returning the ball wide and deep. Watch the scoreline of each game. If they can force deuce or win a game, that is a sign that the gap to the top 3 is no longer vast. If they lose 0-3 with every game under 8 points, perhaps we need to reconsider the development path of British table tennis in the coming Olympic cycle.