Anna Hursey Cruises Through WTT Champions Macao First Round, Now Faces Miwa Harimoto Test

Welsh player Anna Hursey made a near-perfect start at WTT Champions Macao 2026, conceding only 14 points across three games against Leong On Na. The 3-0 victory takes her into the last 16, where she will face world No. 3 Miwa Harimoto on Thursday. Hursey, ranked 37th, opened with seven straight points and won the first game 11-1. She was never behind in any game, but analysts view the result as a baseline rather than a serious test. Leong, ranked 475th, received a wildcard for home-market engagement. Hursey's real challenge begins against Harimoto, an 18-year-old Japanese star who beat Zeng Jian 3-0 but needed a 12-10 second game. That small hint of vulnerability could matter if Hursey's coaching staff found openings. One day earlier, Britain's Tom Jarvis, ranked 45th, faces Japan's No. 3 Sora Matsushima in the last 32 on Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. UK time. For British table tennis, both matches are measuring sticks. Hursey is 19 and part of a 2028 Olympic development plan, while Jarvis, 26, is in his peak years. WTT Champions Macao offers about 1,000 ranking points for the winner, making a deep run valuable beyond prize money. The biggest risk is the quality jump from first-round opposition to a top-three player. Yet a competitive loss with close games would be a positive sign for the next Olympic cycle, while a blowout would show the remaining gap. Fans can watch live on the official WTT YouTube channel.