In a thrilling display of resilience, fourth-seeded Chen Xintong of the Chinese mainland secured her spot in the quarterfinals at the WTT Champions Frankfurt held in Germany. Overcoming Romania's Bernadette Szocs with a comeback victory of 6-11, 11-4, 11-3, 11-5, Chen demonstrated her unwavering determination on the table.
The match began with Szocs taking the first game 11-6, as Chen struggled to find her footing. However, the Chinese mainland player quickly regained her momentum, dominating the second game with an early 4-1 lead and ultimately leveling the match at 1-1.
Chen's aggressive offense proved too much for Szocs in the third game, allowing her to take a 2-1 lead. Despite a timeout called by Szocs' coach in the fourth game when she was trailing 6-3, Chen maintained her advantage and clinched the match. She is now set to face Japan's Satsuki Odo in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the tournament saw a surprising upset as the top-seeded men's singles player from the Chinese mainland, Wang Chuqin, was eliminated in the round of 16 by Sweden's Anton Kallberg with scores of 11-8, 11-5, 11-6. This marks Wang's second consecutive loss at a WTT event without winning a single game, continuing a challenging period for the athlete since his early exit at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in July.
Kallberg is poised to compete against Germany's wildcard entrant, Ricardo Walther, in the upcoming quarterfinals, promising more exciting matches as the tournament progresses.
Reference(s):
Chen Xingtong reaches women's quarterfinals at WTT Champions Frankfurt
cgtn.com
