World No. 1 Lin Shidong of China fought his way into the quarterfinals of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Champions in Chongqing, China, after a thrilling five-game victory over South Korea’s An Jae-hyun on Thursday.
An Jae-hyun, ranked 21st globally, stunned Lin by taking the first game 13-11, grabbing an early lead. However, Lin adjusted his strategy, dominating the next two games 11-2 and 11-6 to swing the momentum in his favor. An refused to back down, claiming the fourth game 11-6 and forcing a decisive fifth game.
In the final game, Lin showcased his top form, steadily building his lead and ultimately sealing the match with an 11-5 win. He will face Lin Yun-ju of Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals.
On the women’s side, China’s top seed Sun Yingsha cruised into the last eight with a straight-sets victory over Doo Hoi Kem from China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, winning 11-5, 11-3, 11-6.
Japan’s No. 5 seed Hina Hayata also advanced to the quarterfinals after a hard-fought 11-6, 13-11, 11-9 win against Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi.
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World No. 1 Lin Shidong survives five-game tussle at WTT Champions
cgtn.com