Sun Yingsha, the top seed and world champion, marched into the quarterfinals of the WTT Champions Macao with a commanding 3-1 victory over Romania’s Bernadette Szocs in China’s Macao SAR.
The 24-year-old opened with a blistering 11-5 win, racing to a 5-0 lead before closing out the first game. Szocs responded in Game 2, rallying from a 4-2 deficit to seize a 9-11 win and level the match, underlining her tenacity on the international stage.
After a pep talk from coach Ma Lin, Sun refocused and unleashed a 5-1 run in the third game, eventually sealing it 11-7. In a nail-biting fourth, she built a 6-2 cushion, weathered a brief Szocs comeback, and closed out the match 11-9.
“After losing the second game, my coach reminded me to stay patient, taking one point at a time,” Sun said. “I adjusted my mindset for the third game, and a short break before the final point helped me refocus. I was well-prepared for every challenge.”
Next, Sun will face Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz, who upset China’s No. 5 seed Wang Yidi in the round of 16. Diaz’s surprise win adds another layer of intrigue to the women’s singles draw.
Meanwhile, China’s No. 2 seed Wang Manyu fought back from 2-1 down to edge Japan’s Hina Hayata 3-2 (7-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7). Wang will take on home favorite Zhu Yuling, the Macao SAR’s seventh seed, in the last eight.
Reference(s):
Sun Yingsha beats Szocs to reach quarterfinals at WTT Champions Macao
cgtn.com
