FULL MATCH | Truls Moregard vs Manav Thakkar | MS R16 | WTT Champions Doha 2026

Game on. You can see immediately, I mean, Trolls' receive game against Kanak Jha was so good, and on that serve he came in to touch it short, realised it was coming long, and adjusted to get the attack in. And again, this is what Trolls does beautifully, as parents look on. Proud, proud parents. Harlan, Lena, and yeah, Trolls' just all-round game. Has so many different weapons he can go to. That's one of them. It's not even a powerful shot, it's the dummy backhand, but there's nothing stupid about it. It's so clever to fake topspin, and you can more easily lift a push with that. You open the back, and go up, like you're going to push the ball. And you use, almost like the arc of the ball, you hit for it, almost flatter, to lift it, rather than whipping with your wrist. Good thing to do against Trappist, but you need to be so relaxed to be able to play it, don't you? Manev, just looking a little bit foxed by that backhand again, second time there. Wasn't happy with the ball. And Robert Cardinals went not to attack, and that's what makes him so elusive at the table. Yeah, he looked so impressive against the American Canuck Giant, the round of 32, but it's sometimes difficult to know with Trolls. He takes those losses personally, and the last time those two had played was last year at Singapore Smash, so he was on it, he wanted his revenge. The Canuck had beaten him in the fifth. Exactly, he looks fired up here. This is a bit of a banana skin of a match. If he's not paying attention, if he's not fully dialed in, Manev could definitely cause him problems, but he seems to be firing. You spoke about the fact that Taka didn't have near as much power as what he has now, and it's interesting how, you know, you'd expect Trolls to deal with those players a little bit easier. You know, he lost to Canuck. He lost to Omar Assar at the World Champs in 2023, who's not a power player of such more of a consistent blocking style. So Morokot here is really having to go for the jugular early doors and leave nothing to chance. He doesn't want to get drawn into a rally, does he? Yeah, three or four times he's gone to the crossover now and found Manev's body. Obvious tactic that he starts out in this first game. You heard him there. Not many times that Trolls will misread what's on the ball, get a bad connection. But you're always guaranteed a good reaction. Really enjoyed watching Taka play yesterday against Gauzy. Simon got to the semi-final of the Europe Smashing Malmo. It could have quite easily been a Gauzy-Morokot final if Gauzy had finished his dinner against Lin Shidong. Yeah, that's a man who had a pretty good 2025 as well, Simon Gauzy. Always, always on the highlight reels. Some of the best shots you'll ever see in WTT by the Frenchman. Oh, beautiful touch. Shaw just killed it. You heard Manev's bat hit the table as he came in. Such good deception, such good feeling. And it sets up game point for the Swede. Fanning backhand. Oh, stop it, Trolls. That was just filthy. He's not missing it. Oh, wow, still in this. Good pressure for Manev Taka. There's that power play, that transfer of weight. He's actually got a good feeling himself, Manev. And he almost has, like, deceptively long limbs. Gets through a lot of wide balls. Oh, it's Trolls Morgard. It's Trolls Morgard. A leaf out of his opponents, but with the punch. The punch and then the forehand combo behind it. The dinner and the dessert. Tomahawk. Punch again. I want too many for Manev, but you can't blame him. Yeah, he started this second game more aggressive. Trying to really take the game to Trolls. What do you have to do? Like the idea there from Morgard. Extending that bat above his head like a tennis backhand. But Manev punchy again. Got good success straight at this game, the Indian. Yes, he stays lovely and close to the table, Manev. Takes the ball incredibly early. It's interesting. Morgard is going to that technique a lot. He's able to still whip a backhand like normal, but he's going to it a lot. But Manev, in the last few points, hasn't found it hard to deal with. Playing with flying colours, the Indian number one. Special mention, by the way, to Sharath Achanta Kamal, who retired last season at the Star Contender in Chennai. Yeah, absolute legend. Inspiration to all the Indian players. Watch out for this team. They have a rising force in table tennis. On the men's side, you've got Ankur Bhattacharjee. The Indian boys made the World Youth Final. Ankur is going to be a problem. It won't be long until he's here at one of the champions. Also, misread and serve. Manev's doing well. He's making it a bitty game. Making it an ugly game, which is what you need to do against trawls. You can't let him get into a rhythm. Too good. That backhand punch, beautiful. The line into the forehand shifts trawls to his right, and then you can send him back the other way. If there is maybe a gap in the armour of trawls, it's someone who can really attack well into the forehand. Loves to do a lot of his work from the backhand corner. The chop blocks, as you see, the backhand punches, the fake lifts, the pivot forehand. Bad, no backspin. If anything, that had a little bit of light top. As did that. You heard Manev's feet scrambling and sliding around, and trawls just playing with the depth. Look at that, toying with him. Manev did well to actually get back out. Flipping did. Trawls is using a lot of slow spin here. I'm interested, he missed two big forehands early on and looked behind at Malta. Timeout, as Malta's called a timeout. This is a big moment, and he's been leading for basically the whole game. Volley, fire, one. He's doing well, he's getting the first attack in and putting it into dangerous areas and really varying the amount of spin. Trawls is struggling with that forehand, I think, because you see the frustration from him. Tried to snipe the forehand, but nothing doing. And Takas won every point after the timeout. There we go. Just more regards presence alone. Exactly. We're witnessing a great tier. You know, he has a swagger about him. Just flicked the edge. Margin so fine at this level. But yeah, Trawls really has a swagger in the same way that you see now with Harimoto as well. Real presence, real aura on the court. And main character energy. Oh, that could have been nasty. It hit the table, didn't it? I thought I heard it. Perfect length on that touch of Trawls. Six of the last eight, he's leveled. A bit passive there, Trawls. I think he's struggling with the forehand feeling. Now he's getting caught and he's having to think rather than just go on autopilot. Yeah, he knew that was silly. He tried to overcompensate for a pretty lukewarm push. Taka. Nibbling away at the ankles. And now he's got two game points. This guy's playing brilliant table tennis. Fearless table tennis. It is. He now has the serve as well. To level this at one game apiece. You've got to respect what he's doing here. He's beaten Simon Gauzy. He's got chances to level it against Moragard. Again, I like that. If you think your opponent is struggling with a forehand open up, serve a little half long. Ask the question. Taka. Oh, Trawls. How has he done that? Taka here. Just couldn't finish it. Punched even, but Moragard fished it back. Look how calm Moragard looks right now. Yeah, we're used to hearing him roar and show his way through. But he's really trying to like dial it in, I think. Look at the eyes of the Swede. He fresh airs it and tries to pull off a Christian counts in around the world. You've got to watch it. Watch it in fine form. Man of Taka changes the serve up, goes pendulum. Will he go back to now the tomahawk serve? Looks like he is. Good call, Joe. Oh, he just miscued it. And Moragard gobbles it up there. I like the deception on that Moragard shot. Finishes with the racket above his head. You couldn't tell where he was going to go. Yeah. Both talking to each other. Or talking to themselves, I should say. Manav did really well to respond. Misses his fancy pants forehand, Moragard. It's not often that we see trolls really struggling to land forehands. I wonder if he's going to start to try and simplify and just roll it into the forehand. It's incredibly dangerous. You wouldn't guess it though, would you? Starting to show, still taking risks with it. He's going to try and, I think, force the feeling through with this. Beautiful acceleration of the ball there from Moragard. Tucker just sticking with him. Yeah, he's a scrapper. He's a scrapper for sure, Tucker. We should call him Tucker. Because he has been tucking in here. He's just relishing in the ecstasy of this opportunity against Trolls Moragard. Opportunity for Manav. You tend to know when Trolls feels like he's kind of got one over on his opponent, wants to double down. So he gives a big roar to just let them know, hey, you missed that one. Just doesn't he? Oh, Moragard around the net. But Tucker was ready and waiting. And now we're seeing a miffed Moragard. He's got fire in his belly. We see the Viking spirit. How did he get that back? Wow. Lightning quick on the pivot, the Indian. That was very similar to the one that Trolls hit earlier. Really opened out his shoulders. Looked like for all the world he was going to Trolls' backhand. And just whips it last second. Short side of the table as well. I love the reaction of the Indian coach there as well. Brilliant. I think Trolls is just going to have to grind this down for the time being. Hold the backhand. Tucker's coach, by the way, Sudesh Pane. It's getting tense here. Tucker came from 2-1 down against Corsi. Will he take a 2-1 lead against Moragard? He is talking to Malta and it looks like he is struggling with that forehand. Sometimes you think there's something wrong with the equipment and it's just all in your head. It's such an awkward thing when you're not firing on all cylinders and you feel like there's something against you. Wow, look at that control from Tucker. He came across. Look at the side spin on the backhand. That is the eye contact after it. That's the second time Tucker has done that serve to backhand and it's the second time that Trolls has drilled that backhand flick and won the point with it. It's the biggest show we've heard from Moragard so far. That's the thing. Waxing lyrical about how well Manav's playing. How poorly Trolls is doing and he's 8-7 up. That's how good he is. Look at the bite on that backhand touch there from Trolls. Wonderful feeling here. I tell you what, if I am Manav Tucker, I am going to the forehand. The backhand seems to be working well for Trolls. I know it's dangerous and I know it's risky and he might find form with it but that backhand at the moment is proving really solid. That was so cavalier from Trolls Moragard. Love the reaction because he still wasn't happy with it. Beautiful. Look how tight that is to the table. So tidy Moragard and it's three game points. He is a monster. He is doing this the hard way. He's so hard to put away. Chop-lock punch. Tucker off the bounce and Moragard is still chuntering away to himself here. Manav looked the wrong way there when he hit that. He looks at the umpire. Watch his head. He didn't do a de-ice, did he? It flicked off the net but that is an unbelievable. To be facing Trolls Moragard and have the confidence to do a no-look. Shows you how confident Manav Tucker is. Wow. I didn't catch that, Joe. Two game points. Audacious. Wide serve. You knew he was in trouble there when he pushed that. Some of the champions winners on that list there. Matsushima and Shampo. Trolls Moragard got to the finals, didn't he? But he was beaten by Tomokazu Harimoto. Right in the men's singles final. Fairly float serving we're seeing here. Quite erratic. Moragard who's become more of a perfectionist as this match has gone on. No, he didn't. That is sublime speed from Manav. His coverage there to play so many forehands. Great footwork. Off the bounce as well. Moragard wasn't far away. Swerving that one wide. One-three. Whoa, that's a great shot. Not really took Trolls by surprise. Missed serving. It's 5-1. This is where Trolls really needs his brother to try and calm him. Just can't hit water if he fell out of the boats. Moragard. 1-7. This is crazy. Taka. Going for the jugular. Throwing caution to the wind. Moragard finesses it down the line. Surely Manav Taka will see this game off to force a one-set shootout here. Against the champions Montpellier winner. There's no divine rights. To finish a game just because you've established a great lead. But the way he was playing he seemed borderline unstoppable. Tomahawk serve Trolls. Sniffs it out. Still dangerous from here Moragard. Big point here now. Wonderful timing. Better timing than a Swiss watch. And he is dialed in right now. Gone to a deep place within himself. Slowing down the game a little bit can be intelligent when you know your opponent's very keen to finish. Maybe too keen here in the case of Taka. Just snatches that punch. It's more like it from the Indian but it's just 7-9 now. Six of the last eight for the fourth seed. Oh what a serve. The nerves will be jangling now. If you Manav Taka. He is so elusive. Oh but Trolls. With that shot there just gave Taka too much of a chance and it's two game points. For the lone ranger of India. He's done so well here. His match management. It's Moragard's ability to play the occasion. Feel the opponent look into their eye. Pull on the heartstrings. Oh Taka had done the hard bit. He saw his name in lights but can't convert here after blocking by the Moragard opener. 10-0. That was brave. To take on that forehand flick there shows you what he's about. Backhand serve. It's a poor serve. That was asking for it. Trolls is so so good in deuce games. No one saves more game points than Trolls and that shows you he's good at getting into trouble but even better at getting out of it. He saves the match point. With a tomahawk and forehand counter combination right into the right pocket of Trolls Moragard. What a dazzling display of table tennis he used to have put on for us here in the infinity arena. In the second match of session two today. Europe smash champion serving a 12 all. What a push. Oh Trolls Moragard surviving. The lob came down with some snow on it. Somehow Taka was able to still smash but he's so good at that Trolls. Match point shot block and he wins the match. He steals the fourth game. The Europe smash champion with a nice little look there.