Gao Chengrui was reversed by Calderano, missing out on the quarterfinals of the 2025 WTT Ljubljana Star Challenge.

Ranked 23rd in the world, Gao Chengrui faced off against Brazil's Calderano, who is ranked 3rd, in the round of 16 at the 2025 WTT Ljubljana Star Challenge on the 21st local time. Despite leading 2-1 in games, Gao lost the next two games, resulting in his third consecutive defeat against Calderano and failing to advance to the quarterfinals.

Gao Chengrui, ranked 23rd in the world

The 28-year-old Calderano has had an outstanding year, having first defeated Zhang Benzhihe, Wang Chuqin, and Lin Shidong—three top players ranked in the world’s top three—at the April Macau World Cup, claiming his first world championship title. At the Doha World Table Tennis Championships in May, he also made it to the finals, where he lost 1-4 to Wang Chuqin, earning a silver medal in the men's singles.

In their previous two encounters, Gao Chengrui lost to Calderano in straight sets, including at the 2023 Antalya Challenge and last year's WTT Doha Star Challenge. However, in today's match, the situation was different. In the first game, Gao staged a comeback from a 5-8 deficit to win 11-9. Calderano, who had been performing well recently, quickly adjusted in the second game, winning 11-8. In the third game, Gao led 6-1 but was narrowed down to 6-4. After calling a timeout, he secured the game 11-6. In the fourth game, Calderano launched a strong counterattack, starting with a 5-1 lead and quickly reaching 10-4. However, Gao fought back, saving three game points and forcing Calderano to use a timeout. After returning to the match, Calderano managed to win 11-8, leveling the match.

In the decisive game, Gao led 3-2 but then lost three consecutive points due to Calderano's aggressive attacks. Although he closed the gap to 5-6, Calderano showcased his powerful offensive skills, scoring five points in a row to win 11-5, thus turning the match around and securing a spot in the quarterfinals. Calderano will face Croatia's Tomislav Pucar for a place in the semifinals.