18-Year-Old Gaoda Falls Short, Still Makes History

On April 4 (Beijing time), the women’s singles quarterfinal at the Macau World Cup delivered a thrilling battle. World No.1 Sun Yingsha edged past 18-year-old Egyptian rising star Hana Goda in a dramatic 4-3 victory, with scores of 13-11, 11-8, 14-16, 5-11, 10-12, 11-3, 13-11.

The deciding game was nothing short of dramatic. Goda led 5-1 early, but Sun fought back to 6-6. Goda then surged ahead to 10-8, holding two match points. Under immense pressure, Sun saved both, leveled at 10-10, and eventually closed out the match 13-11 in a stunning comeback.

Goda’s performance was equally remarkable. After trailing 0-2, she fought back to level the match and even took a 3-2 lead. However, she lost momentum in the sixth game and was ultimately edged out in the decider despite holding match points.

She came agonizingly close to upsetting the world No.1. After the match, the 18-year-old couldn’t hold back her emotions, breaking down in tears—a moment that reminded many fans of Miwa Harimoto.

Despite the heartbreak, Goda made history at this tournament:

• Youngest player in the women’s singles quarterfinals
• Only African player in the last eight
• First African player since Quadri Aruna (2014) to reach the quarterfinals
• First female African player ever to reach this stage in a World Cup

After the match, Sun praised Goda, acknowledging the difficulty of the victory and highlighting the young star’s impressive performance and potential.