U.S. Eliminated from Contention at U.S. Smash 2025, Emerging American Talents Signal Bright Future

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA has officially been eliminated from contention at U.S. Smash 2025 following day four of the competition. While the Americans will not advance further, the event offered promising signs from the emerging generation of U.S. table tennis players.

The standout moment came during the women’s singles qualifying rounds, when 14-year-old Irene Yeoh, of Fremont, Calif., made a remarkable debut in her first Senior (adult) World Table Tennis event. Ranked world No. 524 from playing junior events, Yeoh delivered the tournament’s biggest upset by defeating world No. 77 Giulia Takahashi of Brazil in a tight 3-2 match (11-9, 14-12, 6-11, 9-11, 11-9).

Both players were evenly matched in their service game execution, but Yeoh’s consistency and mental toughness helped her best Takahashi. Yeoh led in both consecutive points scored and points overcome when trailing. It was an impressive display of resilience for the young American. She was later eliminated in the second round of qualifying by Ayhika Mukherjee (IND).

In doubles, Nandan Naresh (18) had encouraging performances. He reached the round of 16 in men’s doubles alongside his brother Sid Naresh (21).

Nandan also reached the round of 16 in mixed doubles with Sally Moyland (18), one of the brightest rising stars in American table tennis. Naresh's performances with his teammates marked the deepest runs in the main draw by any American players at the event.

In women’s singles, Amy Wang (22) and Jessica Reyes-Lai (21) both advanced to the round of 32. Wang’s highlight came in a thrilling first-round win over fellow U.S. Olympian Lily Zhang. While it was unfortunate that the two top-ranked female U.S. players faced off so early, it added another chapter to their growing rivalry, with Wang continuing to challenge Zhang’s dominance on the national and international stage.

Reyes-Lai also impressed, advancing to the second round before falling to world No. 6 Miwa Harimoto (JPN) in a match where she held her own versus completely folding under the pressure.

The American players delivered proud performances at U.S. Smash 2025 and showed immense potential for future success. Their accomplishments were especially notable given that many had just wrapped up demanding schedules at the U.S. National Table Tennis Championships days before their events.