The WTT Champions Incheon witnessed an impressive display of skill as all seven Chinese paddlers advanced to the quarterfinals on Friday. Dominating both the men's and women's sides, China's top athletes showcased their prowess in this prestigious table tennis tournament.
On the men's side, Fan Zhendong, veteran Ma Long, and Liang Jingkun secured their spots, while the women's lineup featured top-ranked Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Chen Meng, and Wang Yidi. Notably, Wang Chuqin, the current men's singles world No.1, was rested and did not participate in this round.
Liang Jingkun, seeded second and world No.3, made a dramatic comeback to defeat Slovenia's Darko Jorgic 3-1. Olympic champion Ma Long overcame South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon with a 3-1 victory, and top-seeded Fan Zhendong triumphed over Germany's Patrick Franziska in straight sets.
In the women's singles, Sun Yingsha dominated Sweden's Linda Bergstrom, advancing to the quarterfinals where she will face Japan's Hina Hayata. Wang Yidi and Wang Manyu also secured their places, defeating Elizabeta Samara from Romania and Cheng I-Ching from Chinese Taipei, respectively.
Olympic champion Chen Meng displayed her exceptional skills by defeating Japan's Miwa Harimoto in straight sets. As the first event of the 2024 WTT Champions Series, the tournament in Incheon offers a prize pool of $300,000 and 1,000 ITTF world ranking points to each champion, attracting the world's top players to compete for glory.
Reference(s):
Chinese paddlers continue winning streak at WTT Champions Incheon
cgtn.com
