"Don't miss a chance to win. This is a sentence that Wang Chuqin expressed before. However, in the first round of the WTT Singles World Cup group stage on April 15, the world table tennis men's singles brother struggled to fulfill his vow.
With a 2-0 lead, he was suddenly deducted points by the referee due to a serving controversy, and Wang Chuqin's mentality was obviously affected. In the next two games, he lost two games in a row, and finally had to fight with South Korea's Ahn Jae-hyun to draw 2-2 and miss the opening. This is undoubtedly a major setback in Wang Chuqin's career.
As we all know, Wang Chuqin has always made great achievements in international competitions. Having won the singles title at the 2023 Singapore Grand Slam and the World Cup in Incheon last year, he is one of the hottest stars in table tennis today. However, in the first round of the World Cup, Wang Chuqin rarely "showed his hand" at a critical moment, which was quite surprising.
What caused the world No. 1 to suddenly lose his due dominance in a situation where he was overwhelmed? And what made him lose his due calm and concentration at a critical moment? With these questions in mind, let's take a closer look at this wonderful match and uncover the reasons behind Wang Chuqin's "upset".
In the first game, although Wang Chuqin fell behind for a while, he finally won the first game with a score of 11-9. It certainly gave him a good start. In the second game, Wang Chuqin quickly took the initiative, once expanding the score to 8-3 and completely controlling the situation. In the end, it won 11-7 and rewrote the big score to a 2-0 lead. At this time, Wang Chuqin seemed to have taken the absolute initiative, and victory was just around the corner.
However, things took a sharp turn in the third game. Wang Chuqin once fell behind 5-8, and at the critical moment, his serve was also punished by the referee and he was directly penalized by one point. This was undoubtedly a huge blow to his psyche. However, Wang Chuqin did not give up, but quickly adjusted his state and chased the score to 9 draws. But in the end, he lost the third game 9-11.
In the fourth game, Wang Chuqin fell into a disadvantage again, and finally lost the game with a score of 8-11, and the big score was pulled to a 2-2 draw. This is undoubtedly a big low point in Wang Chuqin's career. As one of the best players in table tennis today, he has never suffered such a setback in an important tournament. The draw undoubtedly raised some questions about his quality.
What was the reason for Wang Chuqin's abnormal performance in this game? The author believes that there are mainly the following reasons:
First of all, the service controversy has undoubtedly dealt a great blow to Wang Chuqin's psychology. We know that in table tennis, serving is a very critical link, which not only determines the rhythm of the subsequent offensive, but also directly affects the morale and mentality of the players. In this game, Wang Chuqin's serve was punished by the referee and one point was directly deducted, which was undoubtedly a huge blow to his psychology. His emotions were clearly affected by the referee's decision, which also largely contributed to his defeat in the next two games.
Secondly, Wang Chuqin may have some ups and downs in his state. We know that as the first brother in today's table tennis world, Wang Chuqin is undoubtedly under great pressure. After winning the Singapore Grand Slam singles title, he may relax a little, leading to a slight dip in form. This also explains his erratic performance in this game to some extent.
Again, the strength of the opponent Ahn Jae-hyun cannot be ignored. As the leader of the Korean table tennis team, Ahn Jae-hyun's strength should not be underestimated. In the previous Incheon World Cup, he had defeated the then world No. 1 Fan Zhendong. It's fair to say that he's a strong opponent and Wang will undoubtedly need to work harder when it comes to fighting him.
Finally, we can't ignore the impact of the competition environment on Wang Chuqin. As a world-class star, Wang Chuqin has undoubtedly attracted much attention. In such an important World Cup event, he is undoubtedly under a lot of pressure. This pressure may have affected his performance to some extent, leading to his erratic performance in key moments.
Overall, the draw was undoubtedly a big setback for Wang's career. But we must also see that as one of the best players in table tennis today, his strength and potential are beyond doubt. I believe that after this loss, he will definitely make in-depth reflection and adjustment on his shortcomings, re-emerge in future events, and contribute his strength to the cause of Chinese table tennis.
For Wang Chuqin, the defeat at the World Cup was just a minor setback. In the long term, he has his sights set on Paris 2024. As the world No. 1, his Olympic singles qualification is already secure. Not only that, but he will also compete in the mixed doubles and men's team events, which is undoubtedly another important opportunity in his career. 2024 is expected to be the most brilliant year of Wang Chuqin's career.
I believe that through this defeat, Wang Chuqin will definitely carry out in-depth reflection and adjustment on himself, further improve his strength and psychological quality, emerge again in future events, and contribute more to the cause of Chinese table tennis. I believe that as long as he remains focused and determined, he will be able to create brilliance and become a new legend in the table tennis world.
Wang's career has been on a steady upward trajectory, having won the Singapore Grand Slam singles title in 2023 and the men's singles title at last year's World Cup in Incheon, becoming one of the hottest stars in table tennis today. However, in the first round of this World Cup, the world No. 1 rarely "showed a hand" at a critical moment, and finally could only draw 2-2 with South Korean player Ahn Jae-hyun and missed the opening. This is undoubtedly a major setback in Wang Chuqin's career.