On Day 4 of the WTT 2024 Saudi Smash in Jeddah, Chinese paddlers demonstrated exceptional skill, winning all their matches across singles and doubles events on Tuesday.
In the women’s singles, World No. 1 Sun Yingsha eased past Serbia’s Isabela Lupulesku with scores of 11-3, 11-4, 11-6, advancing to face South Korea’s Jeon Ji-hee in the round of 16. Chen Xingtong defeated Chien Tung-Chuan of Chinese Taipei 11-9, 11-9, 11-8, while Qian Tianyi overcame Austria’s Sofia Polcanova 11-7, 13-11, 11-7. Chen and Qian are set for an all-Chinese quarterfinal clash.
In the men’s singles, Fan Zhendong showcased dominance with a convincing 11-9, 11-4, 11-4 victory over South Korea’s An Jae-hyun. He will next face Germany’s Patrick Franziska, who triumphed over Spain’s Alvaro Robles in straight games.
After a surprising early exit in singles, Olympic champion Ma Long rebounded in the men’s doubles. Teaming up with Wang Chuqin, the duo defeated local players Ali Alkhadrawi and Abdulaziz Bu Shulaybi in a comfortable 3-0 win. They will face the international pair of Jakub Dyjas (Poland) and Cedric Nuytinck (Belgium) in the quarterfinals.
In the women’s doubles, top seeds Chen Meng and Wang Manyu breezed past Romania’s Elisabeta Samara and Andrea Dragoman 3-0. They are set for an all-Chinese semifinal against Wang Yidi and Chen Xingtong, who also won their match in straight games against Thailand’s Orawan Paranang and Suthasini Sawettabut.
The mixed doubles saw top seeds Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha defeat India’s Sreeja Akula and Harmeet Desai 3-0, setting up a potentially challenging semifinal against Japan’s third-seeded pair, Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata.
The Chinese team’s performance on Day 4 highlights their continued dominance in the sport, setting the stage for thrilling matchups in the upcoming rounds of the WTT 2024 Saudi Smash.
Reference(s):
Chinese paddlers dominate day 4 matches at WTT 2024 Saudi Smash
cgtn.com
