Kim Taehyun registered a shock 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-5) win over Deni Kozul in the qualifiers of the WTT Star Contender Doha, which began at the Lusail Sports Arena on Monday.Ranked over 100 world ranking positions below his opening round opponent, World No 191 Kim showcased excellent table tennis from start to finish against the No 9 qualifying seed, claiming his first match win at WTT Star Contender level in the process.The 16-year-old Qatari Ahmed Korani came close to pulling off an upset of his own, reversing an early deficit to take a promising 2-1 lead over Li Yan Jun. But Li Yan would go on to spoil the party, putting the frustrations of the two previous games behind him to deny Korani on home soil (11-1, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-2).The women’s singles qualifying race also kicked into life on Monday, with Yeh Yi-Tian and Lee Daeun putting on a dazzling show under the lights. World No 329 Lee produced a magnificent display, taking her higher-ranked opponent right down to the wire. But it was Yeh who ultimately stuck the landing, swinging for the fences in games four and five to extend her stay in Doha (11-7, 8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7). Romania’s Iulian Chireta defeated Italian Carlo Rossi 3-0, to qualify for the second round of the qualifiers where he will face Frenchman Roland Jules, who defeated Yemen’s player Ibrahim Gibran 3-0.South Korea’s Park Jang-hyun qualified for the next round to face Portuguese Joao Monteiro, ranked 79th in the world. Monteiro beat Poland’s Mateusz Zalewski 3-0. Vincent Picard, ranked 184th in the world, qualified to face the strong Portuguese Thiago Apolonia, ranked 96th in the world, after defeating Qatar’s Abdulaziz al-Abdullah 3-0. The qualifying matches will continue today with about 60 matches scheduled to determine who will advance into the main round.The main draw will see the participation of 180 male and female players, representing more than 42 countries. Headlining a star-studded playing field is Tomokazu Harimoto, is one of the former champions in Doha.Seven-time event champion on the WTT Series, Hina Hayata is another player looking to rekindle old magic having prevailed in Doha three seasons back, while both surprise packages of the 2022 event Andrej Gacina and Miyuu Kihara also returning.Offering a total prize pool of $275,000, WTT Star Contender Doha presents players with the perfect opportunity to make serious ground in the ITTF Table Tennis world rankings, with a significant points haul up for grabs across the board.The winner of the men’s and women’s singles will receive a cash prize of $10,000 and 600 points in the international ranking, while the second-place winner will receive $7,525 and 420. As for the doubles competitions, the champions will receive $3,500 and 600 points, compared to $2,500 for the runner-up and 420 points.The tournament also represents a dress rehearsal for the World Table Tennis Championship Qatar, which will be held at the Lusail Hall in May.