In Astana, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday, China secured their place in both the men’s and women’s team semifinals at the Asian Table Tennis Championships. The men’s team triumphed over Iran with a 3-1 victory in the quarterfinals, overcoming a surprising setback when world No. 1 Wang Chuqin was defeated by 14-year-old Benyamin Faraji.
In the opening match, Wang faced an unexpected challenge from Faraji. Trailing from the outset, Wang narrowed the gap to one point, but Faraji held his nerve to take the first game 11-8. Wang rallied in the next two games, winning them 11-3 and 11-9, and started the fourth game strongly with a 4-1 lead. However, Faraji regained momentum, clinching the fourth game 13-11 to level the match at 2-2.
Despite Wang’s loss, the Chinese team showed resilience. The subsequent matches saw China regain control, ultimately securing their spot in the semifinals.
Reference(s):
China reach both team semifinals at Asian Table Tennis Championships
cgtn.com
