Ningbo, China — In a nail-biting match at the men’s team table tennis qualifying tournament for the 15th National Games of China, Liaoning pulled off a stunning 3-2 comeback victory against Guangdong on Saturday.
The competition, held in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province, saw Guangdong take an early lead. In the opening doubles match, Lin Gaoyuan and Li Yijie of Guangdong narrowly defeated Liaoning’s Xu Haidong and Yuan Licen with a score of 3-2. Lin then extended Guangdong’s advantage by overcoming Yuan 3-1 in the first singles match.
Facing a 0-2 deficit, Liaoning’s 45-year-old veteran, Hou Yingchao, turned the tides. Demonstrating exceptional skill and experience, Hou edged past Zhou Qihao 3-2, and then defeated Li Yijie 3-1 in consecutive singles matches, leveling the score at 2-2.
The decisive fifth match saw Xu Haidong of Liaoning dominate Zhou Qihao with a straight 3-0 victory, sealing the remarkable comeback for Liaoning.
In another notable encounter, Hebei showcased a commanding performance against Gansu, securing a 3-0 win. Event debutant Liang Jingkun teamed up with Zhou Yu to deliver a 3-0 doubles triumph over Wei Chen and Zhao Feng. Liang Yanning swiftly defeated Ding Shixian 3-0, and Zhou Yu crushed Zhao Feng to clinch the match for Hebei.
