The World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash in Beijing witnessed a thrilling display of skill on Tuesday, as China’s top women paddlers continued their winning streak in the singles competition.
World No. 1 Sun Yingsha showcased her resilience by overcoming an initial setback to defeat compatriot Kuai Man 8-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 in the second round. “I didn’t prepare well for the first game, but my adjustments helped me speed up and improve my performance in the following three games,” Sun reflected after the match. “I am happy to play in front of so many fans on China’s National Day.”
Sun is set to face fellow Chinese player Liu Weishan in the next round. Liu advanced with a convincing 12-10, 11-4, 11-3 victory over Chen Szu-Yu of Chinese Taipei.
Qualifier Fan Shiqi continued her impressive run by defeating South Korea’s Lee Eun-hye 11-7, 11-5, 11-4. Fan’s next challenge will be against Japan’s Sakura Mori, who edged out 16th seed Jia Nan Yuan of France in an intense five-game match, winning 10-12, 11-4, 13-11, 6-11, 14-12.
China’s Wang Xingtong caused an upset by knocking out 11th seed Sofia Polcanova of Austria 11-4, 14-12, 8-11, 11-4. Wang will next meet seventh seed Cheng I-Ching of Chinese Taipei, who overcame Britt Eerland of the Netherlands.
In other matches, South Korea’s Kim Na-yeong orchestrated a remarkable comeback to eliminate ninth seed Miu Hirano of Japan 10-12, 13-15, 3-11, 11-9, 11-7. Kim will face sixth seed Mima Ito of Japan, who defeated 61-year-old veteran Ni Xia Lian of Luxembourg 11-7, 11-2, 11-5.
The competition continues to heat up as homegrown talents and international players vie for the top spot, promising more exciting matches ahead in the China Smash tournament.
Reference(s):
Home table tennis stars keep winning in women's singles at China Smash
cgtn.com
