In a thrilling display of skill and determination, Shanghai’s men’s team and Jiangsu’s women’s team emerged victorious at the All China Table Tennis Championships held in Ordos, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Saturday.
The men’s team final saw Shanghai rally to defeat Heilongjiang Province 3-1, securing the gold medal. The competition kicked off with the men’s doubles match, where Heilongjiang’s Wei Shihao and Wang Bo faced off against Shanghai’s Xu Xin and Zhou Kai. Despite Xu and Zhou taking the first game 11-4, Wei and Wang stormed back to win three consecutive games 12-10, 11-8, 11-6, giving Heilongjiang an early lead.
Shanghai’s Fan Zhendong stepped up in the second match, dominating Heilongjiang’s Xu Yingbin with a straight-sets victory of 11-7, 11-5, 11-8, leveling the score at 1-1. The momentum swung in Shanghai’s favor during the third match when Zhou Kai overcame a two-game deficit against Wang Bo. After dropping the first two games 11-7 and 14-12, Zhou mounted a remarkable comeback to win the next three games 11-9, 11-8, 11-7.
With Shanghai leading 2-1, the fourth match pitted veteran Xu Xin against Heilongjiang’s Xu Yingbin. Xu Xin displayed exceptional resilience, rebounding from a two-game deficit (7-11, 4-11) to triumph in the next three games 11-9, 11-3, 11-4, clinching the final victory for Shanghai.
In the women’s team final, Jiangsu Province edged past Shanghai 3-2 in a nail-biting contest. Jiangsu’s duo of Shi Xunyao and Qian Tianyi secured a strong start, defeating Shanghai’s Yang Yiyun and Sun Mingyang 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 in the opening doubles match.
Jiangsu extended their lead to 2-0 when Kuai Man narrowly beat Chen Yi in a five-game thriller (8-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-8, 11-9). However, Shanghai fought back fiercely, with Sun and Chen overpowering Jiangsu’s Qian and Shi in the subsequent singles matches, leveling the score at 2-2.
The championship hung in the balance as the final match unfolded between Jiangsu’s Kuai Man and Shanghai’s Yang Yiyun. Kuai demonstrated composure and skill, securing victory in four games (11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 11-5), and delivering the team title to Jiangsu.
The All China Table Tennis Championships showcased the depth of talent in China’s table tennis scene, with both established stars and emerging players delivering outstanding performances. The victories of Shanghai and Jiangsu highlight the competitive spirit and high level of competition present in domestic table tennis.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
