Wang Chuqin, the world No.1 men's singles table tennis player from China, began the Year of the Snake with a bang at the WTT Singapore Smash!
On Sunday, Wang faced off against Japan's Yukiya Uda in the first round. The match started tough for Wang, with Uda leading 9-6. But Wang wasn't about to let that slide! He rallied back to tie at 9-9 and then secured the first game with two clutch points. 
The second game was smoother sailing. Wang built an early lead and dominated, taking it 11-5. Uda tried to make a comeback in the third game, keeping the score neck and neck. But Wang held his nerve, and with a powerful smash at 10-9, he sealed the deal! 
Next up, he'll face Singaporean wild-card Koen Pang.
But Wang wasn't the only Chinese player shining on the court. Huang Youzheng, coming from the qualifiers, defeated Iran's Noshad Alamian in straight games: 14-12, 12-10, 11-4. He's set to challenge Germany's Patrick Franziska, the No.8 seed, in the next round.
Chen Yuanyu also advanced after knocking out Paraguay's Marcelo Aguirre 11-7, 11-7, 2-11, 11-6. He'll be up against South Korea's Jang Woo-jin, the 12th seed, in the upcoming match.
On the women's side, China's top talents were on fire! 
Fourth seed Chen Xingtong cruised past Lam Yee Lok from Hong Kong SAR with scores of 11-3, 11-7, 11-3. Second seed Wang Manyu defeated Egypt's Dina Meshref 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 to progress. And No.15 seed Kuai Man overcame Portugal's Fu Yu 11-6, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7.
It's shaping up to be an exciting tournament! Stay tuned for more smashing action! 
Reference(s):
Wang Chuqin begins Year of the Snake with win at WTT Singapore Smash
cgtn.com
