After a six‐month hiatus, 2024 Paris Olympics champion Fan Zhendong made a stunning return to the Chinese Table Tennis Super League with four consecutive wins in a single day! Representing Shanghai, Fan dazzled fans with his trademark precision and relentless drive.
Facing a tough lineup that included Shandong's Xu Yingbin, Yan An, and Shantou's Xu Haidong, Fan demonstrated his ability to adapt quickly. The day’s highlight came in an intense five‐set duel against Lin Gaoyuan, a match where every point felt like a cliffhanger. After taking the first two games 11-9 and 11-8, Fan narrowly dropped the third game before storming back to seal the victory with an emphatic 11-3. ⚡🏓
Reflecting on his performance, Fan said, "I think we both wanted to contribute to the team, but luck favored me on a few key points." He also noted that the morning opener, which saw him come back from two games down, was a real test of his tactical adjustments. Having missed competitive play after a semi-final loss to Shandong on December 31, his comeback is a testament to both his resilience and focused training.
This season's CTTSL features a grueling double round-robin format over three regular stages, with the top four advancing to a December finale. With such fierce competition on the horizon, Fan's return injects new excitement and unpredictability into the quest for the title. Stay tuned for more intense table tennis action as the season unfolds! 💪
Reference(s):
Fan makes electrifying return to action with 4 consecutive CTTSL wins
cgtn.com