Chinese table tennis stars Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha demonstrated resilience at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Doha, overcoming a last-minute equipment issue to secure their mixed doubles quarterfinal spot. The pair defeated Brazil's Hugo Calderano and Bruna Takahashi 11-2, 11-7, 11-4 despite Wang discovering damaged racket rubber moments before the match.
A tense pre-match scene unfolded when coach Xiao Zhan raised concerns about possible mishandling of Wang's racket. Tournament officials permitted use of a backup racket after determining no intentional tampering occurred. The incident failed to disrupt China's top-ranked duo, who maintained dominant form throughout the match.
"We approached this new opponent with thorough preparation," Wang told reporters post-match. Sun added: "Our coordination keeps improving," referencing their recent reunion as partners after months apart.
The International Table Tennis Federation launched an investigation into the racket incident, reviewing venue surveillance footage to determine how the damage occurred. Meanwhile, both Chinese athletes continued their singles success – Wang defeated Brazil's Leonardo Iizuka 4-0 in men's singles, while Sun overpowered Pyon Song Gyong of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by the same margin.
With their next mixed doubles opponents withdrawing due to injury, the Chinese pair automatically progresses to Thursday's quarterfinals, maintaining China's strong position in the championship.
