National Table Tennis is the most powerful table tennis team in the world, with countless championships and honors. The competition in national table tennis is also very fierce, and only the best players can represent the national team in international competitions. Those who do not enter the national team often can only play the role of sparring, providing training and assistance for the main players of the national team. Although these sparring players are strong, they rarely have the opportunity to show their style and level. However, recently there is a national table tennis sparring player who shines in the Japanese T League, she is 26-year-old Zhang Rui.
Zhang Rui is a graduate of Henan Sports School, she has loved to play table tennis since she was a child, and has participated in the National Youth Table Tennis Championships and National Games, and has won many championships and medals. She was called up as a sparring partner by the national team in 2019, training and playing with the main players of the national team. Although she did not make the official roster of the national team, she has been trying to improve her level and technique, hoping to play for the national team one day.
In the summer of 2023, Zhang Rui got a rare opportunity, she joined Kinoshita Kanagawa Club in Japan's T League as a free agent, and played in Japan with national table tennis players such as He Zhuojia and Sun Mingyang of the Nuggets. This is a new challenge for Zhang Rui and a new stage. She has faced many strong opponents in the Japanese T-League, including Mimato Ito, a core player of the Japanese team.
Misei Ito is the first sister of Japanese women's table tennis and the third ranked women's singles player in the world. She is known for her quick and flexible style of play and tenacious fighting spirit. She has played against Chinese women's table tennis many times and achieved good results. She won silver in women's singles and gold in mixed doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and is a leader in women's table tennis in Japan.
In the second round of the Japan T-League on October 20, Kinoshita Kanagawa Club and Japan Life Club played a focus showdown. There were a number of national table tennis players involved in this match, the most notable of which was the singles match between Zhang Rui and Mimato Ito.
The match meant a lot for Zhang Rui as it was her first head-to-head with world-class player Mimato Ito and her first singles match in the Japanese T-League. She hopes to take this opportunity to prove her strength and contribute to the Kanagawa Club Kinoshita.
After the start of the match, Zhang Rui appeared a little nervous and restrained, her feel and rhythm were not very good, while Ito Mimai played her level, she won two consecutive games 11-6 and 11-5 to take a 2-0 lead. Zhang Rui is facing the crisis of being swept away, is she still able to fight back?
In the third game, Zhang Rui adjusted her mentality and tactics, she relaxed her wrists and shoulders, strengthened her attack and changes, and she won the game 11-7 to recover a point. In the fourth game, Zhang Rui continued to maintain her form and confidence, and she and Ito Mimai engaged in a fierce confrontation and tug-of-war, and the two sides fought to 10 draws. At the crucial moment, Zhang Rui seized an opportunity and played a beautiful backhand to hit the ball in front of Mimato Ito. Ito didn't have time to react, and could only watch the ball land on his field. Zhang Rui narrowly won the set 11-10 to tie the score to 2-2.
In the tiebreaker, Zhang Rui has completely entered the state, she is no longer afraid of Ito Mimako's prestige and strength, but has launched a back-and-forth duel with her. Neither side left the other any respite, and every point was a head-to-head fight. The score alternately rises, 9 draws, 10 draws, 11 draws... Zhang Rui and Ito Mimai have not given up a single ball point, and they are trying their best to win. Finally, at 12-11, Zhang Rui sent an arcing ball, and Ito Mimai returned the ball and the ball landed on the net. Zhang Rui won the tiebreaker 13-11 and defeated Mimato Ito 3-2 to seal the victory for Kinoshita Kanagawa Club.
It was a shocking and moving match, with Zhang Rui completing a shocking comeback from 2-0 down, beating Japanese sister Mimato Ito in the Japanese T-League. This is the most important and exciting competition in Zhang Rui's personal career, she has proved with her strength and perseverance that she is not an ordinary sparring partner, but an excellent player with national table tennis blood and quality. She also defended the honor and dignity of the national table tennis team, and showed the demeanor of the Chinese table tennis team in the Japanese T League.