Today we are going to talk about those things in the table tennis world, let's start with an unexpected game result. Did you know that Zhuang Zhiyuan, who has always made a name for himself in table tennis, suffered a setback in the first round of the men's doubles qualifying tournament at WTT Doha? He and his partner Gao Chengrui faced off against an Indian pair, Taka and Manash Shah, and they lost 1-3! The scores in the four games were 11-9, 7-11, 9-11, 6-11, can you imagine? Zhuang Zhiyuan and Gao Chengrui were still leading in the first game, and in the next three games, it was as if they were seen through by the other party, all the way downhill.
Next, let's talk about Zhuang Zhiyuan. This player, as you may know, is from Taiwan Province of China. In the table tennis world, he is like an evergreen tree, and as the years go by, his skills are still there. Remember the 2013 World Table Tennis Championships in Paris? He partnered with Chen Jian'an, and that time they won the men's doubles championship. At that time, he was invincible.
But having said that, does the unexpected loss in this competition mean that Zhuang Zhiyuan is old? Or is the strength of Indian table tennis skyrocketing? This topic is worth pondering. Indian table tennis used to be considered a desert in the table tennis world, but in recent years their level has improved dramatically, and this is not for nothing. At the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, in the quarterfinals of the women's doubles, China's Chen Meng/Wang Yidi faced India's Mukherjee sisters. As a result, the Chinese team lost 1-3! You may not believe it, but the Mukherjee sisters don't look like professional players, but their playing style is extremely unique, causing a lot of trouble for Chen Meng and Wang Yidi.
So, for Chinese table tennis, does this mean that the alarm bell has sounded? The rise of Indian table tennis is undoubtedly a challenge for the Chinese team. While the Indians are not yet a threat to the likes of Japan and South Korea at an overall level, their progress is evident. The Chinese table tennis team must pay attention to this.
Finally, let's take a look at the lineup of the Chinese table tennis team. Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng, Wang Manyu, these names are certainly not unfamiliar to you. They all came to the arena for this competition. However, after a long journey, whether they can quickly adjust their condition has become the key. If you can't, you may face more upsets.
Having said all this, I would like to ask everyone, do you think this unexpected defeat is due to Zhuang Zhiyuan's poor form, or is the strength of the Indian team really greatly improved?Or what adjustments do you think the Chinese table tennis team needs to make to cope with such a challenge? Welcome to share your views in the comment area, and don't forget to pay attention to the follow-up event updates!