The World Table Tennis Championships in Doha saw China's breakout duo, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, shine on Friday, first storming into the mixed doubles final and then powering through to the singles semifinals.
In mixed doubles, Wang and Sun demolished South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon & Shin Yu-bin in straight sets, setting up a title clash against Japan's Maharu Yoshimura & Satsuki Odo.
Not content with one event, Wang carried his momentum into men's singles, delivering a 4-0 whitewash against Chinese Taipei's Lin Yun-Ju (12-10, 11-8, 11-8, 12-10) in just 46 minutes. His precise serves, step-around forehand and strategic southpaw angles constantly disrupted Lin's rhythm.
"Big events test both skill and mind," Wang said. "Clutch points come down to composure – I tried to stay cool."
Next, Wang will face Sweden's Truls Moregard, who rallied from two sets down to beat Japan's Shunsuke Togami 4-2, promising another high-octane matchup.
In other singles action, Liang Jingkun pulled off a dramatic 7-set victory over top-ranked compatriot Lin Shidong, while Brazil's Hugo Calderano cruised past South Korea's An Jae-hyun 4-1 in 49 minutes. Liang and Calderano will meet for a spot in the final, highlighting the global depth of talent at this year's championships.
Matches featured rallies stretching beyond 20 strokes, highlighting the sport's blend of speed, precision and endurance, a testament to modern training techniques and data-driven strategies.
As the tournament reaches its climax, fans worldwide are tuned in, eager to see if Wang can claim his first singles world title and whether Liang or Calderano will challenge for gold, underscoring the global passion for table tennis.
Reference(s):
Wang, Sun storm into singles semifinals at table tennis worlds
cgtn.com
