On January 23, 2022, the WTT Macau Championship came to an end, with Wang Manyu winning the women's singles title and Wang Chuqin winning the men's singles title, plus Xu Xin/Liu Shiwen winning the mixed doubles title yesterday. The first stop of the NEW YEAR, WTT, was a complete success. Taking stock of this WTT Macau Championship, it can be said that it has brought many surprises to fans. The biggest highlights are summed up: the return of the king of veteran Liu Shiwen; the performance of young generals Ku Man and Lin Shidong is eye-catching.
Wang Manyu defeated Chen Meng 4-3 in the women's singles semi-finals and Liu Shiwen 4-0 in the women's singles final to win the women's singles championship at the WTT Macau Championship, which can be said to be deserved. The strength of the women's singles champion of the 2021 Xinke World Table Tennis Championships is indeed great.
But what is even more surprising is the outstanding performance of Liu Shiwen, a 31-year-old "veteran" who has not played for several months. Liu Shiwen won the mixed doubles championship in cooperation with Xu Xin in the Macao Championships, defending the honor of the first mixed doubles combination of national table tennis. In the women's singles, Liu Shiwen defeated the main player of national table tennis Wang Yidi 3-1 in the finals, and Liu Shiwen won a total of 10 innings points in this match, which shows the intensity of the competition and Liu Shiwen's tenacious will quality. In the women's singles semifinals, Liu Shiwen defeated the little devil Sun Yingsha 4-2, and Liu Shiwen posed very low in the game, actively mobilizing herself on the field, as if she were a newcomer.
Liu Shiwen lost 0-4 to Wang Manyu in the women's singles final. The game exposed some problems that Liu Shiwen had been neglecting the field for a long time. Both the first and third innings didn't play well at the beginning, one was 1:5 down and the other was 0:6 behind. The second and third innings had chances, but consecutive points were conceded at critical moments. In particular, it was a shame to have two serve errors in the second set to send points. However, for Liu Shiwen, who has not had a high-intensity confrontation competition for a long time, all this is a place that can be improved through continuous participation.
In the Macau Championships, Liu Shiwen participated in the mixed doubles and women's singles events, both of which reached the end, and winning a championship and a runner-up was the biggest winner. Although the double championship was not achieved, it is also reasonable to say that Liu Shiwen returned. I hope that Liu Shiwen can continue to maintain her form, improve the deficiencies, and achieve more victories in the international arena.
The 18-year-old was the biggest surprise of the competition. Ku man and Fan Zhendong combined in mixed doubles for the first time to get runners-up. It can be said that it has created a miracle. This also allows Fan Zhendong to get rid of the embarrassing situation of super singles and doubles. It's not that Fan Zhendong is not strong in doubles, but he hasn't met a partner who can produce chemistry. Kuman is the best partner who can have a chemical reaction with Fan Zhendong, and 1+1 is greater than 2.
Especially in the mixed doubles 1/4 final, Fan Zhendong/Ku man's opponent is the pre-match favorite to win the championship, and also the most promising to become the mixed doubles combination of the national table tennis at the Paris Olympic Games. Fan Zhendong/ Ku Man defeated Wang Chuqin / Sun Yingsha 3-2, Fan Zhendong's excellent performance is only one aspect, and Ku Man's stunning performance also conquered all the audience. Although Fan Zhendong/Ku Man lost 3-0 to the experienced Xu Xin/Liu Shiwen in the mixed doubles final, they only finished second, but it also allowed us to see the possibility of another combination of mixed doubles at the Paris Olympics. Perhaps by the time the 2024 Paris Olympics arrive, Kuman has grown up and become a new recruit in the Olympic arena.
17-year-old Lin Shidong's performance this time is remarkable. In the men's singles quarterfinals, Lin Shidong defeated Zhou Qihao, one of the main players of the world table tennis championships, 3-2, which was a cold shot. In the game, Lin Shidong behaved very calmly, and there was no impatience after the score, but to fight one point at a time. In particular, Lin Shidong's backhand is impressive, and it can even be pulled against Zhou Qihao's forehand on the far stage without falling behind. In the men's singles quarterfinals, Lin Shidong lost 2-3 to Lin Gaoyuan. But Lin Gaoyuan won not easily, it can be said that he escaped death.
Although Wang Chuqin did not play well in the mixed doubles, his performance in the men's singles competition was still very eye-catching. In the competition with Ma Long, Xu Xin and Lin Gaoyuan, they all gave full play to their own characteristics and finally won the men's singles championship. If Wang Chuqin can maintain such a stable state all the time, the future is unlimited.
The performance of Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Xu Xin, Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha and others can also be remarkable. It's just that in such a high intensity of almost the team game, the victory and defeat are between millimeters, and losing a game is harmless, and the next game will be won back.