In a thrilling match at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Championships Finals in Doha, Qatar, China’s second seed Wang Chuqin overcame a two-game deficit to defeat France’s Simon Gauzy on Thursday. The final score read 9-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8, propelling Wang into the quarterfinals.
Gauzy, who had previously ousted Wang’s compatriot Lin Gaoyuan in the round of 32, seemed poised for another upset after clinching the first two games. “I was too nervous at the beginning,” Wang admitted after the match. “I thought too much and was too conservative. I let my opponent control the rhythm.”
Making a tactical change, Wang switched to a short-sleeved jersey before the third game, a move that coincided with a shift in momentum. “Putting on the short-sleeved jersey pulled me out of the match for a moment,” he recalled. “I felt calmer and more collected. I knew I was two games down, but I stopped thinking about the result. I just wanted to do my best, or I would be eliminated.”
From there, Wang unleashed a barrage of precise shots and powerful strokes, winning four consecutive games to secure his place in the last eight. Gauzy, ranked 43rd in the world, acknowledged Wang’s prowess. “Wang was not at his best at the beginning, while I was,” the 30-year-old noted. “It’s hard to handle his power and speed.”
Meanwhile, China’s top seed Lin Shidong also advanced comfortably to the quarterfinals with a 4-0 sweep against Sweden’s Anton Kallberg. The 20-year-old is set to face fellow Chinese competitor Liang Jingkun in the next round.
On the women’s side, Sun Yingsha faced a tougher challenge but ultimately secured her spot in the quarterfinals. Despite nearly losing a 3-1 lead, she defeated South Korea’s ninth seed Shin Yu-bin 4-2. Sun will next compete against Japan’s seventh seed Satsuki Odo.
In mixed doubles action, Wang and Sun teamed up to overcome Japan’s Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto in the quarterfinals. After dropping the first game, the second-seeded Chinese duo rallied to win 3-1 with scores of 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for China. In the men’s doubles quarterfinals, third seeds Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Shidong were eliminated by the sixth-seeded pair from Chinese Taipei, Kao Cheng-Jui and Lin Yun-Ju, who secured an 11-5, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8 victory.
