Chinese table tennis stars Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha powered through to the mixed doubles quarterfinals at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Doha, Qatar, on Monday, despite a pre-match racket mishap.
Just moments before their round of 32 match against Brazil’s Hugo Calderano and Bruna Takahashi, Wang discovered that part of the rubber on his racket had peeled off. After a brief inquiry by Chinese coach Xiao Zhan, officials allowed Wang to use his backup racket, concluding there was no foul play.
The unexpected incident didn’t faze the dynamic duo. Wang and Sun dominated the match, winning in straight sets 11-2, 11-7, 11-4. With their next opponents from Romania withdrawing due to injury, they advanced directly to the quarterfinals.
“Our opponents were a new pair, and we hadn’t faced them before,” Wang explained. “I felt a bit unsure, but we prepared well and started strong.”
Sun added, “Our teamwork is improving. We hadn’t partnered in months before this tournament.”
The ITTF and the Chinese Table Tennis Association are investigating the racket incident, reviewing surveillance footage to determine how the damage occurred.
Earlier in singles play, Wang defeated Brazil’s Leonardo Iizuka in four straight games, and Sun secured a 4-0 victory over Pyon Song Gyong of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), both advancing to the next rounds.
