WTT Singapore Grand Slam: Three World Champions Eliminated! Ovtcharov Falls in Five-Set Thriller

On the evening of February 22, the WTT Singapore Grand Slam continued with intense matches. After Sweden’s top player Falck and South Korea’s Ryang Ha-yun were defeated by Glasmenco (Kazakhstan) and Chen Xingtong (China) respectively, German veteran Dimitrij Ovtcharov also exited in the round of 64.

Ovtcharov, trailing 0-2 against Danish player Lind, fought back to even the match but ultimately lost 2-3, failing to stage a dramatic comeback.

Player Background
Born in 1988, Ovtcharov is a former World Cup, European Games, European Championships, and European Cup men’s singles champion, and has won two Olympic bronze medals in men’s singles. Despite being 37, he remains active at the top level. Earlier this year, he defeated China’s rising star Lin Shidong, but his overall form no longer matches his peak. Lind, 10 years younger, is also highly competitive and has beaten top players including Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong. In their only meeting this year, Lind won 3-0, adding pressure on Ovtcharov.

Match Recap

• Game 1: Ovtcharov struggled to adapt to Lind’s serves and lost 8-11.
• Game 2: Despite a comeback from 0-4 to catch up, he fell 9-11, trailing 0-2.
• Game 3: Facing elimination, Ovtcharov rallied from 4-6 to secure 11-8.
• Game 4: After a tense battle including a 10-10 tie, he edged Lind 12-10, forcing a decisive fifth game.
• Game 5: Ovtcharov could not maintain the lead after 4-4, and eventually lost 8-11, bowing out 2-3.

With Ovtcharov’s elimination, three world champions have now exited the WTT Singapore Grand Slam, highlighting the fierce competition in the men’s singles draw.