In a surprising turn of events at the World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash in Las Vegas, the Chinese mainland’s top seeds Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu were eliminated from the women’s singles competition in the round of 16.
Unseeded compatriot Chen Yi stunned World No. 1 Sun Yingsha with a 3-1 victory. Chen began the match aggressively, seizing a 4-1 lead and capitalizing on Sun’s errors to take the first game 11-9. Although Sun fought back to win the second game 11-7, Chen regained control, dominating the third game 11-5. The fourth game saw intense rallies, including a 17-shot exchange, but Chen held her nerve to clinch the game 11-9 and secure the match.
On the other side of the draw, second seed Wang Manyu was defeated by Zhu Yuling from Macao in a 3-1 match. Zhu displayed remarkable form, taking the first two games 11-8 and 11-6. Wang attempted a comeback by winning the third game 11-8, but Zhu sealed her victory with an 11-5 win in the fourth game.
“It’s been an incredible journey,” Zhu said after the match. “I didn’t expect to perform this well on the WTT stage today. I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase my abilities.”
Despite the singles upsets, the Chinese mainland had success in the doubles events. In the women’s doubles quarterfinals, top seeds Wang Yidi and Kuai Man overcame Japan’s Hina Hayata and Mima Ito in a thrilling five-game match. The Chinese pair rallied from behind twice to ultimately win 3-2.
In the men’s doubles, Wang Chuqin and Liang Jingkun defeated compatriots Lin Shidong and Huang Youzheng 3-1 to advance to the semifinals. They will face the French sibling duo Alexis and Felix Lebrun in the next round.
The unexpected eliminations of the top seeds have opened up the competition, promising more exciting matches ahead at the WTT US Smash.
