On the first day of the 2024 WTT China Grand Slam, the table tennis world ushered in thrilling matchups. On the field, there are not only peak competitions between masters, but also unexpected unpopular events, which make the whole event full of suspense and highlights. Among them, the most eye-catching is the exit of world champion Wang Yidi and He Zhuojia's upset victory over Zhang Benmeihe.
In the women's singles field, Wang Yidi's exit is undoubtedly the biggest upset. As the world's fourth-ranked player, Wang Yidi's strength is undoubted. However, in the battle with teammate Fan Siqi, she seemed to have lost her former edge. At the beginning of the game, Fan Siqi relied on his accurate grasp of key points to win two cities in a row. Although Wang Yidi then stubbornly tied the score, in the deciding game, Fan Siqi finally defeated his senior sister with a score of 3-2 with a stronger belief and excellent mobilization. After the game, Fan Siqi humbly said that it may be Wang Yidi's unfamiliarity with the venue that affected the performance, and his victory was more due to luck. However, judging from the course of the match, Fan Siqi's victory was no accident, and her calmness and decisiveness were the key to her ability to overcome strong opponents.
Compared with Wang Yidi's regretful exit, Wang Xiaotong's reversal victory brought a lot of surprises to the national table tennis. Facing Zhu Qianxi, the main player of the Korea team, Wang Xiaotong won three consecutive games with his tenacious fighting spirit and excellent skills under the unfavorable situation of losing one game first, and finally won with a total score of 3-1. This victory not only added confidence to the national table tennis women's singles, but also made people see Wang Xiaotong's potential and strength.
And He Zhuojia's upset victory over Zhang Benmeihe has become a highlight in the women's singles field. The Japan talented girl was in the spotlight before the match, but she looked inadequate in the battle with Ho Zhuojia. After Ho Zhuojia won a hard-fought 11-9 victory in the first game, Zhang's mentality began to fluctuate. In the next two games, she lost with a disparity of 2-11. After the match, Zhang Benmeihe cried sadly because she couldn't accept the loss, and He Zhuojia added another victory to the national table tennis women's singles with this victory.
In the men's singles, Chinese Taipei's Lin Yunru's exit was also unexpected. As a top 10 player in the world, Lin Yunru did not appear to be in good shape in the competition. Facing Sweden's Carlberg, he lost 3-11 and 4-11 in the first two sets. Although he chased two games in a row, he was unable to save the defeat in the end and was unfortunately eliminated with a total score of 2-3. Lin Yunru's defeat not only caused a setback for the national table tennis men's singles on the first day of the event, but also sounded the alarm for the national table tennis: in the face of strong opponents, any underestimation or laxity may lead to defeat.
Looking back at the first day of the 2024 WTT China Grand Slam, the performance of national table tennis can be described as mixed. Although the exit of world champion Wang Yidi is regrettable, the outstanding performances of players such as Fan Siqi, Wang Xiaotong and He Zhuojia have added confidence to the national table tennis. The calmness, decisiveness and tenacity they showed in the game are the embodiment of the spirit of national table tennis. At the same time, the exit of Lin Yunru in the men's singles also reminds us that national table tennis still needs to remain vigilant and focused in the face of challenges.
However, it is these unpopular events and unexpected results that make the sport of table tennis full of charm and suspense. In the future competitions, we expect the national table tennis to learn lessons, sum up experience, and meet every challenge with more enthusiasm and firm faith. At the same time, we also look forward to more young players emerging and injecting new vitality and hope into national table tennis.
With the 2024 WTT China Grand Slam main draw going deeper, can national table tennis continue to write its former glory? This is a question worth pondering. Judging from the first day of the event, the national table tennis has both losses and victories in the face of strong opponents, which undoubtedly adds more uncertainty to future competitions. However, it is this uncertainty that makes the sport of table tennis even more fascinating. We look forward to the national table tennis being able to show more outstanding strength and firmer belief in the next competitions, and bring us more surprises and touches. At the same time, we also look forward to more young players standing out and writing a new chapter for the future of national table tennis.