The WTT Bangkok Stars Challenge 2024 is underway. A number of qualifiers were played on the first day of the match.
According to the schedule, the qualifying rounds will be held from July 2nd to 3rd, and the main competition will be held from July 4th to 7th.
National table tennis team members Chen Xingtong and Lin Gaoyuan participated in this event. Originally, the national table tennis did not plan to send people to participate in this competition. Considering that Chen Xingtong and Lin Gaoyuan were not selected for the Olympic list, and they had not competed for a long time, the national table tennis let them participate in the Bangkok Star Challenge. And they can also block the national table tennis competitors to earn points.
Lin Gaoyuan and Chen Xingtong participated in the Bangkok Star Challenge as wild cards. And the two only compete in singles.
Although they entered the tournament as wild cards, they were the top seeds in the singles competition. Because in the singles competition, they are the highest ranked in the world.
The two have already set off from China and arrived in Bangkok. Someone photographed two people at the airport. The spirits of the two are very good.
After arriving in Bangkok, the two did not rest, and immediately threw themselves into training to maintain their form and strive to achieve good results in this event.
There are five events in the Bangkok Star Challenge, namely men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. WTT events are commercial events with points and prize money. The total prize money of this event reached 250,000 US dollars, which is converted into 1.82 million yuan.
Players who win the singles championship can receive a prize of $10,000 and 600 points; Win the runner-up in singles and get a prize of $7,500 and 420 points; Reaching the semi-finals of singles earns $4,000 in prize money and 210 points.
In April 2023, the WTT Bangkok Stars Challenge was held, and Lin Gaoyuan and Chen Xingtong participated in that tournament. In that competition, Lin Gaoyuan won the men's singles championship, Chen Xingtong won the women's singles championship, Lin Gaoyuan/Lin Shidong won the men's doubles championship, Chen Xingtong/Kuo Man won the women's doubles championship, and Lin Gaoyuan/Chen Xingtong won the mixed doubles championship. The national table tennis won five championships, and Chen Xingtong and Lin Gaoyuan both achieved the triple crown.
Lin Gaoyuan and Chen Xingtong have participated in the same group many times and are very strong. I don't know why they were not allowed to participate in the mixed doubles of this competition.
The draw for this event has been released.
In the men's singles main draw table, Lin Gaoyuan ranked first as the top seed. He had a first-round bye. There are many high-level players in the men's singles, such as Lin Yunru, Zhang Ben Tomokazu, Zhang Yuzhen, Lin Zhongxun, Matsushima Teikong, Lee Sang-so, Huang Zhenting, etc., and it is necessary to prevent other players from upset.
In the women's singles main draw table, Chen Xingtong ranked first as the top seed. She also had a bye in the first round. There are also many high-level players in women's singles, such as Miwa Zhangmoto, Shin Yubin, Szokos, Mimato Ito, Diaz, Zheng Yijing, Tian Zhixi, Yang Xiaoxin, Kihara Miyu, Zhu Qianxi, Nagasaki Miyu, etc. The competition in women's table tennis is even greater.
It will be difficult for Chen Xingtong and Lin Gaoyuan to defend their titles. I hope they can play at a high level, achieve good results, and try to defend their title!