Local table tennis stars put on a masterclass Thursday at the WTT China Smash in Beijing, with Chinese world No.1 Wang Chuqin and No.2 seed Wang Manyu stamping their authority in the men’s and women’s singles draws.
In the men’s singles, Wang Chuqin faced South Korea’s No.13 seed An Jae-hyun. After a tight opening game that saw An fight back from 9-6 to level at 9-9, Wang closed it out 11-9 and never looked back, cruising to an 11-4, 11-7 win to book his spot in the quarterfinals. He’ll face Japan’s Sora Matsushima next for a place in the semifinals.
Meanwhile in women’s singles, home favorite and second seed Wang Manyu was in full control against Japan’s No.13 Hina Hayata, winning 11-6, 11-4, 11-5. Wang said she focused on her own game rather than the score, praising her preparation and tactical execution. She now sets her sights on No.6 seed Miwa Harimoto for a place in the last four.
The mixed doubles semifinals saw a thrilling battle between compatriots as Huang Youzheng and Chen Yi took on Yuan Licen and Wang Yidi. Huang and Chen jumped out to an 11-6 first-game win, but Yuan and Wang answered back in a drama-filled second game to even the match 1-1. After trading mini-run comebacks and timeouts, Huang and Chen regained momentum, taking the third game 11-9 and closing out the fourth 11-7 to reach the final. They’ll challenge top seeds Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha for the title.
As the tournament heats up, Beijing fans can expect more high-octane rallies and underdog upset bids, with local paddlers eyeing gold on home soil.
Reference(s):
Home paddlers continue to dominate WTT China Smash in Beijing
cgtn.com
