On March 29, Beijing time, the 2024 WTT Incheon Grand Slam is in full swing. In the women's singles 1/4 finals, the host South Korean player Tian Zhixi faced the Japanese table tennis star Misei Ito.
The South Korean women's team originally had 5 players to participate in the competition, but after the first round, Shin Yubin, Li Shiwen, Kim Naying, and Zhu Qianxi were all out of the first round, and Tian Zhixi narrowly defeated Yuan Jianan in five games to advance to the top 16 of women's singles.
Tian Zhixi and Ito have played each other 7 times before, and Ito has won all of them. Tian Zhixi only won a total of 3 games in 7 games, and the gap in strength is huge. But Tian Zhixi, as the "lone seedling" of the host Korean women's team, knows that she has a heavy responsibility, so she can only stand up to it. The last shred of perseverance paid off, and in the end, Tian Zhixi defeated Ito Mimato 3-2, 11-9, 4-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6 in five games.
Contest Details:
Tian Zhixi actively mobilized after the opening, yelling at himself every time he won a point, and once took an 8-3 lead in the first game. However, Ito quickly chased the score to a 9-9 level with his changeable serve, during which Tian Zhixi also consumed a timeout. Fortunately, he grasped the key point at the end of the game, and Tian Zhixi narrowly won the first game 11-9.
In the second and third games, Ito gave full play to his strength on serve and attack, and quickly opened the score at the beginning, winning two games in a row, 11-4 and 11-6. When Ito made few mistakes, Tian Zhixi really couldn't parry. In the fourth game, Tian Zhixi finally waited for the opportunity, scored 3 points in a row after 8-8, and won the game 11-8. It's strange why Ito's mother called a timeout at 5-7 in the fourth game? Even if she loses this game, she won't lose the game all at once? Isn't it good to save the timeout for the tiebreaker?
In the decisive game, Tian Zhixi played a rare high level and fought very successfully. After falling behind 2-4, he scored 6 points in a row, completely took the initiative, and finally sealed the victory with 11-6.
After the game, Tian Zhixi was also excited and cried. It was her first win over Ito, while also defending her home glory.