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Singaporean duo Izaac Quek and Koen Pang may have suffered a last-16 defeat at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash on February 24, 2026, but their display of sportsmanship has resonated with fans and rivals alike. The pair, ranked No. 4 in the world, demonstrated remarkable integrity during a crucial moment in their match against Argentina’s Horacio Cifuentes and Santiago Lorenzo, currently ranked No. 30, at the OCBC Arena in Kallang.
With the deciding set tied 5-5, the umpires initially awarded a point to Quek and Pang after deeming the Argentinian pair were time-wasting during their serve. However, recognizing that both teams were still in discussion and not fully prepared, Quek and Pang proactively conceded the point, restoring the score to 6-6. This act of fairness, despite the high stakes of the competition, drew applause from the crowd and earned the respect of their opponents.
The incident occurred during a tightly contested match that ultimately saw the Argentinian pair emerge victorious with a 3-2 win (11-13, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9). Despite the loss, Quek explained their decision, stating, “The red card was for time-wasting, but both of us were not ready, so technically, that’s not really time-wasting… I said to the umpire that it’s not fair and then the umpire said it is her decision, so we have to continue with the match. So we returned the point to them, which is deserved.”
Pang echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the closeness of the match but emphasizing their belief that the initial call was incorrect. “We felt that the decision the umpire gave was incorrect and so we gave the point back to them,” he said. The Argentinian duo were quick to acknowledge the gesture. Santiago Lorenzo expressed his gratitude, saying, “We have to say thanks to them, given that it was not their obligation to give us this point. So we have a lot of respect for them.” Horacio Cifuentes added that the WTT should review the rules regarding communication between doubles partners, stating, “We saw Izaac and Koen speaking and so we cannot serve. We have to speak in doubles. We are not playing singles, we necessitate to speak a little bit with our partner. I think they (WTT) need to review these rules, because they are not good.”
Upsets and Successes on Day 3 of the Singapore Smash
Quek and Pang’s match was just one of several notable results on the third day of the tournament, which drew a crowd of 3,072 spectators. Several seeded players experienced unexpected defeats. Top-seeded South Korean pair Lim Jong-hoon and An Jae-hyun fell to Belgium’s Martin Allegro and Adrien Rassenfosse 3-2 (7-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8). Allegro described the win as “unbelievable,” adding, “We were the underdogs, so it was quite easy to play relaxed.” Hong Kong’s second-seeded Baldwin Chan and Wong Chun Ting also suffered a 3-0 loss to French wild cards Esteban Dorr and Florian Bourrassaud, who will now face Lorenzo and Cifuentes.
Local Duo Achieve Breakthrough Win
In a standout performance, Singaporean wild cards Loy Ming Ying and Chloe Lai secured a significant victory in the women’s doubles, upsetting sixth-seeded duo Liu Yangzi of Australia and Wan Yuan of Germany 3-2 (4-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-9, 11-3). This win marked the first time a Singaporean women’s doubles pair has reached the quarter-finals at a WTT Grand Smash event – the highest tier of the WTT Series. Lai, 18, expressed her excitement, stating, “This is our third Singapore Smash playing doubles together, and to be able to make it so far, everyone will be really happy.” Ming Ying, 15, added, “We are feeling super-duper happy. We came into Smash with the mindset of just trying our best as we are one of the younger ones in the tournament.”
The duo will now face a challenging quarter-final match against third seeds Miwa Harimoto and Hina Hayata of Japan on February 25. Ming Ying acknowledged the challenge, saying, “They’re among the top few (players) in the world and it’s very rare to get to play against them. Miwa is my idol, but I won’t set so much pressure on myself and just treat her as a normal opponent.”
Unfortunately, other Singaporean players did not fare as well. Zeng Jian and Ser Lin Qian lost 3-1 (11-5, 10-12, 11-9, 11-2) to Japan’s Satsuki Odo and South Korea’s Joo Cheon-hui. Ser Lin Qian also fell in the women’s singles, losing 3-0 (11-8, 13-11, 11-7) to China’s eighth-ranked Chen Yi. In the men’s doubles, Clarence Chew and Josh Chua were defeated 3-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-3) by China’s Lin Shidong and Huang Youzheng.
Other Notable Results
Elsewhere in the tournament, women’s world No. 2 Wang Manyu of China advanced to the last 16 after defeating Cheng I-ching of Chinese Taipei 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5), and will face Shin Yu-bin of South Korea. Men’s world No. 1 Wang Chuqin also secured his place in the last 16 with a 3-0 victory over Shunsuke Togami of Japan, and will compete against Anders Lind of Denmark.
The WTT Singapore Smash continues to deliver exciting matches and unexpected results. While Quek and Pang’s tournament run ended in the last 16, their demonstration of sportsmanship has undoubtedly left a lasting impression. The quarter-finals on February 25 promise further compelling action as players battle for a place in the semi-finals and the chance to lift the coveted title.
What are your thoughts on Quek and Pang’s sportsmanship? Share your comments below and join the conversation.
