Singapore Smash 2026:
Faraji crashes out in first round
Iranian table tennis prospect Benyamin Faraji bowed out in the opening round of the men’s singles qualifiers at the WTT Singapore Smash on Thursday, falling 3-2 to India’s Akash Pal.
Faraji, who captured a historic under-15 bronze medal at the 2024 ITTF World Youth Championships, made a bright start by taking the opening game 11–8. However, Pal responded by claiming the next two games 13-11 and 11-7 to seize control of the match.
The Iranian teenager rallied to level the contest with an 11-6 win in the fourth game, forcing a decider. But Pal – ranked No. 106 in the world – held his nerve to seal the fifth game 11-7 and close out the 43-minute encounter. With $1.55 million in prize money at stake, the Singapore Smash main draw boasts a star-studded field. Among the leading contenders are world No. 1 Wang Chuqin of China, Brazil’s world No. 2 Hugo Calderano, and China’s Lin Shidong, who is ranked third in the latest ITTF World Rankings.