Two weeks ago, Japan's 20-year-old star Mima Ito (the trophy-bearer on the right) went to Doha, Qatar. The #3-ranked woman in the world, she was the top seed in the World Table Tennis (WTT) Middle East Hub, a series of lucrative tournaments designed to jump-start International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) competition after a year lost to the pandemic. Ito is used to being one of the top seeds, but is generally looking to upset China's Sun Yingsha and/or perennial world #1 Chen Meng. Fortunately for Ito, the entire Chinese team opted to sit out the Middle East Hub out of COVID concerns. Ito entered the first event, the WTT Contender, 399 world ranking points behing world #2 Sun Yingsha. As luck would have it, the WTT offers not only big money but big rating points. Both the men's and women's singles winners were set to receive $15,000 USD and 400 world ranking points. Ito avoided upsets, defeating her countrywoman Hina Hayata in the finals, 4-2. Thus, not only did Ito jump up a tax bracket but also leapfrogged Sun Yingsha for the world #2 ranking by exactly one point. Ito hardly had time to celebrate before it was back to work. Immediately on the heels of the WTT Contender was the WTT Star Contender, an even bigger bonanza tantalizing players with $25,000 and 600 world ranking points for the respective singles winners. Despite the stellar appellation and juicier prizes, the draws looked remarkably similar to last week's ostensibly starless Contender due to the secure "bio-bubble" format of the WTT Middle East Hub. Ito again found herself in the finals, this time facing Singapore's veteran Feng Tianwei (pictured, the trophy-toter to the left). The 34-year-old Feng, ranked 12th in the world, was no match for a motivated Ito, who could not solve the puzzle of Ito's short-pips backhand blocks. Once again, Ito had means, motive and opportunity to pad her wallet, not to mention her lead over now world #3 Sun Yingsha. Now Ito, $40,000 richer and 1,000 ranking points loftier, can more realistically set her sights on China's Chen Meng, who holds a comfortable lead over the world with 13,825 ranking points. After this week's win is processed, Ito will level up to 12,081 points, a scant 1,744 behind the indomitable yet idle Chen. Ito is considered the biggest threat to China's Olympic dominance. China has the luxury of training with teammates who excel any competition the world has to offer. Nonetheless, there is no substitute for the adrenalin of authentic international tournaments, a stage on which Ito currently looks unbeatable. It is shaping up to be an epic Olympic showdown.

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