In an impressive display of skill and precision, China’s top seed Wang Chuqin swept past Japan’s Hiroto Shinozuka with a decisive 3-0 victory in the men’s singles first-round match at the World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash in Beijing on Sunday.
Wang needed just 22 minutes to secure his win, taking the sets 11-6, 11-3, 11-6. Demonstrating remarkable control and strategy, he set the tone for his campaign in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. Wang is set to face Anders Lind of Denmark in the next round.
“It’s our first match, so I guess neither of us was used to how the other played,” Wang reflected after the match. “I had prepared well and did well from the beginning.”
Speaking about the tournament, Wang added, “I think it will be one of the world’s greatest tournaments wherever you hold it in China, not to mention in Beijing. The facility and other prospects, including security, all produced an excellent match-playing experience.”
The success continued for the host nation as three other Chinese players advanced in the men’s singles event. Xue Fei triumphed over Edward Ly of Canada with scores of 11-3, 11-6, 11-6. Sixth-seeded Lin Shidong overcame a first-set loss to defeat Nicolas Burgos of Chile 7-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-4. Xue and Lin are slated to face each other in an exciting next-round clash.
China’s Xiang Peng also moved forward after dispatching Nicholas Lum of Australia 11-6, 11-3, 11-6. He will meet No. 16 seed Omar Assar of Egypt in his upcoming match.
In other matches, Japan’s eighth seed Tomokazu Harimoto defeated Wong Chun-ting of China’s Hong Kong in a tightly contested game, finishing 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9. Sweden’s No. 11 seed Truls Moregard edged past Maharu Yoshimura of Japan with scores of 12-10, 12-10, 11-7, setting up his next match against another Japanese player, Sora Matsushima.
The WTT China Smash continues to showcase world-class table tennis talent, promising more thrilling matches as the tournament progresses.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
