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
