TT's newest star is only 13 but he's making a racket

— -- Tomokazu Harimoto went through a rollercoaster of emotions during his semifinal win against Achanta Sharath Kamal at the India Open. When he wins a point, he'll screech as if hit by electric current, head thrown back, spine arced almost to a cartwheel. When he concedes, it's as if he's lost a puppy. His shoulders will be slumped, eyes downcast he'll trudge slowly to his side of the table. And then he's ready to play again.

In due course of time, Harimoto will learn not to swing from one emotional extreme to another. When he's more mature he'll realize it bleeds energy. The coach who watches stoically from his corner will be sure to remind him to calm his live wire act. But for now, it's exactly what you would expect from a boy barely into his teens.

Harimoto is 13 years and 237 days old. Here's a bit of perspective. When Achanta Sharath Kamal made his debut in international table tennis, at the Qatar Open back in March 2003, Harimoto was yet to be born. But Harimoto is a prodigy and he's in the final now. If he manages to beat top seed and world number four Dimitrij Ovtcharov, he would become the youngest player to win a singles title on the ITTF World Tour. Records such as these are often decided by a matter of days. In Harimoto's case, it's a matter of years. He would be nearly three years younger than the current record holder - Yu Ziyang, who was 16 years and 30 days old when he won the Japan Open in 2014.

Harimoto has already got a clutch of 'youngest' records to his name. He was only 13 years and 163 days old when he lifted the world junior title in Cape Town last December (the old record was held by compatriot Kenta Matsudaira who was 15 years and 259 days old). The previous year, when he was 12, he became the youngest player to reach the main draw of a World Tour event. He eventually went down in straight games to China's Ma Long, but even in defeat earned praise from the multiple Olympic gold medallist and World No.1 player. "Of course, with his age, he is already outstanding. When I was 12, I didn't have that kind of level," Ma Long was quoted as saying.

In New Delhi, it was Sharath Kamal who was doing the admiring in defeat. "He's a really good player. He has a long future. There's no doubt he is going to make the top twenty very soon," Sharath said. And while Sharath says the youngster still has a long way to go, his ability even at this age marks him out as a player to watch out for. "His forehand is the weaker side because he isn't physically as strong. He needs a couple of years to improve. He can challenge the best of the world with his backhand," Sharath said.

Harimoto's rise might have been predicted. He has excellent table tennis genes after all. While he was born and raised in Japan, both his parents are Chinese immigrants. While his father Yu Harimoto is a coach, mother Zhang Ling represented China at the 1995 World Team championships.

Harimoto says he began training when he was just three years old. Life has revolved around the sport ever since. "Probably as unsociable and shy," he said, when asked to describe himself in an interview on the website of his blade sponsor. In Delhi, he said there was nothing more to his life than table tennis and studies.

The focus on his game shows in his results. Currently ranked 69th in the world, he beat players ranked 46 (Robert Gardos) and 62 (Sharath Kamal). He would certainly expect to rise far higher in the international rankings. But while success is expected, it isn't guaranteed. Kenta Matsudaira, previously the youngest to win the junior world championships in 2006 has not enjoyed the same success in the senior division, and is currently ranked 17th in the world.

Harimoto says he would prefer to follow in the footsteps of women compatriots Mima Ito and Miu Hirano, who are part of a wave of young Japanese players who are expected to break China's stranglehold of the sport at the 2020 Olympics. At the age of 13, the Japanese pair won the 2014 German Open's women doubles to become the youngest players to win an ITTF World Tour title. Ito would later win a singles ITTF singles title when she was 14 years and 152 days old and would go on to win a bronze in the team event at the Rio Olympics. Harimoto says he wants to do better. "I want to win a gold medal at Tokyo," he said.