Table Tennis: Gouda reaches historic World Cup quarterfinals in Macau

Egypt’s Hana Gouda advanced to the Table Tennis World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in her career after a hard-fought victory over France’s Jia Yuan in Macau on Friday.

The 18-year-old Egyptian, ranked 26th in the world, staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Jia 4-3 in the round of 16 at the tournament, which runs in the Chinese city until 5 April.

Gouda’s milestone run underlines her rapid rise on the international stage, as she becomes one of the youngest players to reach the last eight of the prestigious competition.

Jia (world number 24) took the opening game 11-9, but Gouda responded strongly, claiming the second and third games 11-9 and 11-5 to move ahead. The French player levelled the match after edging a tense fourth game 16-14, then seized the lead with an 11-8 win in the fifth.

Facing elimination, Gouda rallied to win the sixth game 11-8 before holding her nerve in a decisive decider, sealing victory 13-11.

She will next face China’s Sun Yingsha in the quarterfinals on Saturday, in what is expected to be an impossible mission against the world's number one and reigning World Champion.

The winner of the World Cup will receive $90,000 in prize money, while the runner-up will earn $50,000.