At the WTT Champions Montpellier, two Chinese stars, Liang Jingkun and Xiang Peng, showcased their exceptional table tennis skills by advancing to the second round of the men's singles competition.
Second seed Liang Jingkun had a thrilling encounter against France's Jules Rolland, surviving a nerve-wracking five-game match. After securing the first two games with scores of 11-7 and 15-13, Rolland surged back to win the third game 11-7, buoyed by the home crowd's support. In the fourth game, despite leading 10-7, Liang conceded the game 12-10 after losing three game points. However, Liang maintained his composure and clinched the final game 11-5, setting up a promising matchup against Japan's Shunsuke Togami in the round of 16.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old rising star Xiang Peng delivered a commanding performance, defeating Kazakhstan's Kirill Gerassimenko in straight games with scores of 11-5, 11-5, and 11-9. Xiang has been making waves in the table tennis scene, previously reaching the semifinals of the WTT China Smash earlier this month by overcoming Olympic medalists Felix Lebrun and Truls Moregard. In his next match, Xiang will face the winner of the French derby between Lebrun and Simon Gauzy, promising another exciting showdown.
The successful advancement of Liang and Xiang underscores China's dominance in the sport and adds anticipation for their upcoming battles in the tournament.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
