Chinese table tennis players showcased their prowess at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender event in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, with several home favorites advancing to the next rounds on Thursday.
In the men’s singles, Xiang Peng overcame a slow start to defeat Singapore’s Pang Koen. Despite dropping the first game 11-6, Xiang rallied to win three consecutive games 11-7, 11-7, 11-9, securing his spot in the last 16 where he will face Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson.
Fellow Chinese paddler Chen Yuanyu endured a grueling five-game battle against Japan’s Maharu Yoshimura. After claiming the first two games 11-7, 11-8, Chen saw Yoshimura level the match by taking the next two 12-10, 11-7. In the decisive game, Chen regained his composure to triumph 11-5. He will next face compatriot Wen Ruibo in the round of 16.
“I was a little upset during the decider, but I had a good start with my serves,” Chen said. “It was very helpful that I built a good lead from the beginning so I could extend it and win in the end.”
On the women’s side, top seed Qian Tianyi cruised past Japan’s Asuka Sasao in straight games. The opening game was tightly contested, but Qian edged it 13-11 before comfortably taking the next two 11-8, 11-8. She will face Zhu Yuling in the round of 16.
Elsewhere, China’s Zong Geman edged Japan’s Anne Uesawa in a thrilling five-game encounter. After losing the first game 3-11, Zong bounced back to win the next two 11-2, 11-9. Despite dropping the fourth game 11-9, Zong secured the victory with an 11-9 win in the decider. She will meet Shi Xunyao in an all-Chinese clash next.
In mixed doubles action, Xiang Peng teamed up with Liu Weishan to defeat the American pair of Kai Zhang and Zhen Deng in four games. The Chinese duo dropped the first game 13-11 but rallied to win the next three 11-3, 11-5, 14-12. They will face top-seeded compatriots Xue Fei and Qian Tianyi in the quarterfinals.
