American table tennis star Lily Zhang has withdrawn from her second round match in the World Table Tennis (WTT) Champions Yokohama 2025 due to illness, she announced on social media.
Zhang was set to face Japan’s Satsuki Odo, the eighth seed in this tournament and ninth-ranked women’s singles player in the world according to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). Odo will move onto the quarterfinals and face the winner of Sun Yingsha and Honoko Hashimoto.
“I’m so sad to have to pull out of Yokohama,” Zhang said on her Instagram account. “I was really looking forward to playing in the next round. Unfortunately, I’m not feeling well enough to compete today.”
Zhang’s withdrawal comes one match after defeating Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem in the Round of 32. This 3-2 victory was her first win over an opponent that has bested her 10 times prior to this match.
The 29-year-old is ranked as the No. 38 women’s singles player in the world, the highest any American currently ranks in the event. She leads the second-highest-ranked American, Amy Wang (No. 65), by 27 spots.
Zhang was the only American female player to advance to the Round of 16, and one of two representing a North American country (Mo Zhang of Canada).
“Good luck to everyone for the rest of the tournament and thank you all for your support,” Zhang said on Instagram. “Can’t wait to be back and competing soon.”
