The WTT United States Smash turned up the heat on Tuesday as reigning world champion Wang Chuqin from the Chinese mainland powered his way into the men's singles round of 16 with a confident 3-1 win over Kao Cheng-jui of Chinese Taipei. 🏓
Wang began with a bang, taking the opening game 11-2. Although Kao edged the second game 11-9 to level the score, Wang responded with brilliant determination, clinching the next two games 11-6 and 11-3. Reflecting on his performance, Wang noted, "We met many times before, so I was fully prepared for this match, especially considering the uncertainties brought by the venue and table. When leading in the second game, I was a bit conservative, but after negotiations with my coach, I felt that I needed to stick to my own style of play."
On the women's side, world No. 1 Sun Yingsha from the Chinese mainland battled fiercely in a full-game showdown against Hana Goda of Egypt, underscoring the intense competition at the event.
Meanwhile, French qualifier Lilian Bardet, after causing an upset by defeating China's Liang Jingkun in the previous round, kept his momentum going with a 3-1 victory over Germany's Ricardo Walther. Bardet shared his excitement, saying, "I'm very happy and very proud of myself for this run. It's not over yet and I hope to go as far as possible. Now I just want to carry this confidence and continue to play relaxed and let's see how it goes."
Other notable highlights include sixth seed Felix Lebrun's 3-1 win in an all-French clash with Simon Gauzy, while German seeds Benedikt Duda and Qiu Dang also advanced, adding to the tournament's impressive lineup of talent.
With so many epic matches and standout performances, the WTT United States Smash is serving up electric table tennis action that promises even more excitement in the rounds to come. Stay tuned for more updates and enjoy the thrill of the game! 🔥🙌
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
