Hey, table tennis fans! 👋 Day 4 of the WTT 2024 Saudi Smash was nothing short of epic, with Chinese athletes absolutely smashing it on the courts! After some unexpected early exits (yes, even Olympic champion Ma Long had a rough day 😱), the Chinese team bounced back stronger than ever.
Women's Singles Rally
Leading the charge, world No. 1 Sun Yingsha breezed past Serbia's Isabela Lupulesku with scores of 11-3, 11-4, 11-6. Next up, she's set to face South Korea's Jeon Ji-hee. Meanwhile, Chen Xingtong secured her spot in the round of 16 by defeating Chien Tung-Chuan from Team Chinese Taipei, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8. Qian Tianyi also advanced after a solid win over Austria's Sofia Polcanova. Get ready for an all-Chinese quarterfinal between Chen and Qian! 🔥
Men's Singles Powerhouse
On the men's side, Fan Zhendong showcased some serious skills, dominating South Korea's An Jae-hyun with scores of 11-9, 11-4, 11-4. He's gearing up to face Germany's Patrick Franziska, who took down Spain's Alvaro Robles in straight games.
Double the Fun
In men's doubles, Ma Long shook off his singles defeat and teamed up with Wang Chuqin for a smooth 3-0 win against local favorites Ali Alkhadrawi and Abdulaziz Bu Shulaybi. They're now prepping to take on the dynamic duo of Jakub Dyjas (Poland) and Cedric Nuytinck (Belgium).
Over in women's doubles, top seeds Chen Meng and Wang Manyu cruised past Romania's Elisabeta Samara and Andrea Dragoman with a clean sweep. An exciting all-Chinese face-off awaits them against teammates Wang Yidi and Chen Xingtong, who also won their match effortlessly.
Mixed Doubles Showdown
The mixed doubles saw top-seeded pair Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha defeat India's Sreeja Akula and Harmeet Desai 3-0. Next, they're up against Japan's formidable pair Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata. It's gonna be intense! 💥
Stay tuned, folks! With such thrilling matches, the WTT 2024 Saudi Smash is keeping us all on the edge of our seats! 🏆
Reference(s):
Chinese paddlers dominate day 4 matches at WTT 2024 Saudi Smash
cgtn.com
