Lin Shidong staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Liang Jingkun 4-1 (13-15, 11-4, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7) in the men’s singles semifinals of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Cup in the Macao Special Administrative Region on Saturday. This victory propels Lin into the final for the first time in his career.
Despite losing the first game as Liang leveraged his extensive experience, the 18-year-old Lin adapted quickly. He intensified his pace with quicker shots and enhanced mobility, securing four consecutive games to clinch the match.
Lin was penalized twice for service faults but accepted the referee’s decisions gracefully. “I think the referee made the right call. Maybe I didn’t serve high enough. It’s the correct call,” he commented post-match.
In the other men’s semifinal, Brazil’s Hugo Calderano overcame home favorite Wang Chuqin in a thrilling seven-game encounter. After dropping the first game 12-14, Wang rallied to take the next three games (11-5, 11-6, 11-7), establishing a 3-1 lead. However, Calderano fought back fiercely, winning the last three games (11-7, 11-5, 12-10) to secure his place in the final against Lin.
On the women’s side, defending champion and top seed Sun Yingsha advanced to the final after defeating compatriot Chen Xingtong 4-1. Sun dominated the first three games (11-7, 11-8, 11-2). Although Chen resisted by taking the fourth game 12-10, Sun sealed her victory with an 11-4 win in the fifth game, staying on course to defend her title.
Sun will face fellow Chinese player Kuai Man in the final. Kuai demonstrated resilience by edging out Japan’s Mima Ito 4-3 in a tightly contested match.
The finals are scheduled for Sunday night, promising an exciting conclusion to the tournament.
