Wang Chuqin of China reacts after scoring a point in the men's singles match against Patrick Franziska of Germany in Fukuoka, Japan, November 21, 2024. /CFP
Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong of China continued to advance at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Finals in Fukuoka, Japan, after defeating their opponents in the men's singles round of 16 matches on Thursday.
Top seed Wang faced Patrick Franziska of Germany, whom he played in the final of the WTT Saudi Arabia Grand Smash and claimed a victory. Maintaining control throughout, Wang triumphed 11-8, 12-10, 11-13, 11-6 to secure the final quarterfinal berth. In his next match, Wang will face Swedish Olympic silver medalist Truls Moregard, who earlier overcame his compatriot Anton Kallberg in a grueling five-game encounter.
"After the Olympics, my mental and physical states weren't at their best," Wang admitted after the match. "I'm trying to regain my form step by step through each tournament and move forward."
Lin delivered a solid performance to defeat Alexis Lebrun of France 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 in an engaging offensive battle.
"Winning 3-1 was not easy," Lin said. "I prepared thoroughly for this match, especially given Alexis Lebrun's recent excellent form and achievements. I played with a mindset to give it my all today."
Chen Xingtong of China hits a shot in the women's singles match against Sun Yingsha of China in Fukuoka, Japan, November 21, 2024. /CFP
In the women's singles, reigning champion Sun Yingsha faced Chen Xingtong in an all-Chinese clash. Sun started strong, taking the first game, but Chen mounted a remarkable comeback to win the next two. Trailing in the fourth, Chen leveled the score at 9-9 before Sun held her nerve to force a deciding game. The final game saw intense exchanges until 5-5, where Chen capitalized on her tactical variations to clinch an 11-8 victory, winning 3-2 overall.
"We know each other very well as teammates," Chen said afterward. "What I did well today was keeping a steadier mindset," Addressing her upcoming women's doubles match, Chen added: "There's pressure because we're the only pair left, but focusing on the process rather than the pressure will help deliver better results." She will next face Miu Hirano of Japan in the quarterfinals.
World No. 2 Wang Manyu overcame Shin Yu-bin of South Korea 11-3, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8 in what was their first career meeting. Wang will next play teammate Qian Tianyi in the quarterfinals.
"It was my first time facing her," Wang noted. "Her performance was excellent in terms of shot quality and accuracy, which created many challenges for me."