The 2024 ITTF World Tour Incheon kicked off in late March, an important stop in the Olympic qualifying tournament that has attracted global attention. As a top table tennis event, this competition gathered top masters from all over the world, the most eye-catching of which is the Chinese national table tennis team.
The national table tennis lineup is still very strong, and the men's singles side has defending world champions Fan Zhendong, Liang Jingkun, Ma Long and other absolute main forces; In women's singles, there are Chinese "post-00" table tennis stars Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng, Wang Manyu and so on. With the gathering of traditional masters, national table tennis is regarded as the biggest favorite of this tournament, and masters from all walks of life secretly gritted their teeth and vowed to compete in Incheon.
In the first round of the men's singles, the national table tennis team will get off to a good start, with Fan Zhendong, Liang Jingkun, Ma Long and Lin Gaoyuan successfully breaking through. Liang Jingkun met his old rival and Slovenian star Dakojoczyk in his first match, and the two are almost the same in world rankings and equal in strength. As soon as the game started, Liang Jingkun's state was not ideal, and he fell behind 6:11 in the first game. Fortunately, he adjusted properly and pulled back a city at 12:10 in the second game.
Next, Liang Jingkun became more and more courageous, overtaking 11:7 in the third game, and winning another game 11:7 in the fourth game, and finally defeated Dakojoczyk with a total score of 3:1. "I've suffered many times against this opponent, and this time I finally managed to get back into it. Liang Jingkun said after the game, "But the opponent's strength is there, and it is not easy to win." "
Another highlight match is the German star Ocharov against the French teenager Felix. Ocharov is one of the country's top players, but he has been losing ground against young opponents who are not afraid of anything. Felix played very aggressively and took the initiative on the field. He won 11-6 in the first game and 11-7 in the second game. In the third game, although Ocharov temporarily took the lead halfway, he was finally pulled back by Felix 11:5, and was swept 0:3 and missed the quarterfinals.
"Ocharov's strength is undoubted, but I don't care who my opponent is when I fight, it's just that I get stronger when I meet the stronger. Felix said confidently after the race, "I will continue to give my all in the next round and hope to create new results." "
In women's singles, the national table tennis players also performed remarkably. At just 18 years old, Sun Yingsha continued her high-scoring form over the past year, sweeping her opponents in straight games in both rounds to advance to the quarter-finals. Wang Manyu also won two in a row, and the latest world No. 2 Chen Meng defeated teammate Wang Yidi in the civil war to continue to move forward.
The next quarterfinals will be a new test, and the challenges faced by national table tennis players will be even more severe. However, judging from the current performance, the national table tennis team is in excellent condition, the old and the young complement each other, and the road to the Olympic qualifying tournament seems to be quite smooth.
However, the opponent is also extraordinary, and any opponent will be a stumbling block. Traditional powerhouses such as Germany, Japan, and Sweden have all reached the quarterfinals, and the follow-up battle will be a battle of life and death. Among them, Germany's Francesca is a fierce opponent to be reckoned with, he almost knocked out the top seed Fan Zhendong in the first round of the men's singles, although he lost 0:4, but fully demonstrated his outstanding strength.
'Francesca is a tough opponent and defends very well. Dealing with a player like him requires patience and grasping the initiative on the pitch little by little. Fan Zhendong said after the game that for the next championship road, he will prepare everything from scratch and will never take it lightly.
In addition to the German team, another potential dark horse is none other than the Swedish genius Xiang Shan Camel. Xiang Dan Camel is only 19 years old, but his style of play is so brilliant that it is difficult to grasp. He has beaten national table tennis players many times before, and his performance in this Incheon station is also dazzling. The national table tennis camp undoubtedly lists him as one of the opponents who need to be vigilant the most.
"There are a lot of changes to the ball towards the lone camel, and the defense is tricky, and it can be dazzling and overwhelming. But I'm ready to deal with it. Malone said after revealing the list of group stage matchups.
Tomotoshi Haramoto and Hayabusa Mizutani are the two pillars of the Japanese team, and they are also seeded to reach the quarter-finals. This year's Olympic Qualification Challenge will undoubtedly be a battle of dragons and tigers, and the national table tennis camp needs to be fully prepared to avoid any negligence.
Regarding the upcoming life-and-death battle, Qin Zhijian, the head coach of the Chinese team, said: "It is indeed a difficult challenge, but I have confidence in the players. They are all veterans who have experienced strong winds and waves, and their on-the-spot experience and psychological quality are the top. We will continue to take each opponent seriously and fight all the way to Paris in the best possible condition to fight for Olympic qualification and the highest honours for our country. "
As the game progresses, the atmosphere will become more and more tense and exciting, and the cheering on the scene will also come and go. We will wait and see the final outcome of this annual pinnifare showdown.