There are thousands of courts, and only by being there can you feel the exciting moments of chess against your opponents. On April 20, 2024, in the complex hall of the East Asian Games in Macau, a world-class table tennis showdown kicked off. China's double Olympic champion Chen Meng and Japan's Miu Hirano encountered a fierce battle in the women's singles 1/4 finals, which attracted great attention on and off the court.
Under the spotlight, the two stars stepped onto the field. Chen Meng is 25 years old, with a vigorous posture and bright eyes, shouldering the expectations of hundreds of millions of fans. The 36-year-old Miu Hirano is at her age, but her skills and tenacious will keep her at the top of her game. The two have fought many times before, and they can be described as old enemies.
At the beginning of the game, the two sides occupied their respective venues, focused and ready to start. In the first game, Chen Meng took the lead, her backhand push was like a cannon fire, and her forehand rotation was like an arrow off the string, which made Miyu Hirano stretched. 11 to 5, Chen Meng took the lead. In the second game, the two sides are inseparable, and you go back and forth between support and attack. Chen Meng relied on his tenacious will to fight to gain the upper hand in the key points, and won 13-11.
In the next two games, Chen Meng chased and fought fiercely, determined to win early. She used her forehand Malone pull to pull the sling to drive Miu Hirano into a desperate situation. 11-8 in the third game and 11-4 in the fourth game, Chen Meng finally defeated his opponent with a total score of 4-0 in four straight games and advanced to the semifinals.
The scene resounded with bursts of cheers, and countless fans were boiling. Chen Meng is the hottest Chinese table tennis star in recent years, with outstanding strength and superb skills. Sweeping her old rival on such an important stage would be a resounding punch that would undoubtedly further establish her status as the world No. 1.
In an interview after the match, Chen Meng was full of confidence: "I played very well today, and I made full preparations against Miu Hirano. Although she is very good at spinning the ball, I have mastered her playing style and habits by studying the videos, so I can make the right judgment on the court. I'm going to keep that in the running, try to defend my World Cup title and make the final push to the Olympics. "
In contrast, Miu Hirano could not hide her disappointment. As the top master of Japanese table tennis, her strength is not inferior to Chen Meng, and she has been crowned World Cup champion twice. But in the face of a year like Chen Meng, she obviously fell into a disadvantage. "Chen Meng's strength is really strong, and I struggled to play today. Sooner or later, however, the gap will be equaled. I will continue to work hard and look forward to turning things around next time." "
This key battle can be called a showdown of great significance for the table tennis circles of China and Japan. Chen Meng and Miu Hirano are rivals, having faced each other no less than 20 times in the past eight years. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Chen Meng won the women's singles final against Miu Hirano, and winning gold in the tournament became the highlight of her career so far. In the following years, Chen Meng rose to the top and won many competitions. Before this World Cup, she won the Asian Games and the World Table Tennis Championships, and her comprehensive strength reached a new height.
The 36-year-old Miu Hirano is already old, but her ups and downs are still not weaker than that of young players. As the most senior standard-bearer in the Japanese table tennis world, she has won many championships in the World Cup, World Cup and other major competitions in her career. Ahead of this year's World Cup, she had already broken through to reach the quarterfinals of the women's singles. However, when playing against an opponent like Chen Meng who is in the best condition, Miu Hirano is still a little weak.
In the women's singles event of this World Cup, the Chinese team sent a total of 6 singles players to participate in the competition, with strong strength. In the group stage, except for Kuo Man, Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Wang Yidi and Chen Xingtong all advanced to the knockout round. This fully demonstrates the deep talent pool and top comprehensive strength of the Chinese women's team today.
For Chen Meng, this year's World Cup is her last challenge to defend her title. After four years, since winning the championship in Weihai, Shandong Province in 2020, she has won two high-profile double championships in Rio and Tokyo, becoming a key figure in the international sports world. As the crowning honour of a career, the World Cup is naturally significant.
It is not only the best training for Chen Meng to prepare for the Paris Olympics next year, but also the best stage for her to show her strength to the world. For Chen Meng, who is already a double Olympic champion, the World Cup may be the final peak journey. After this matchup with Miu Hirano, she is clearly fully prepared to win the title. After the competition, she will definitely compete on a higher stage and make new contributions to Chinese sports.
In the next semi-final, Chen Meng's opponent will be Sweden's Linda Bergström. The latter has won the semi-finals three times in a row in this World Cup, and its strength cannot be underestimated. This will be a big obstacle on Chen Meng's way to the crown. If he can defeat his Swedish opponent, he may encounter teammates Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu again in the final. But judging from the 4-0 victory in this game, Chen Meng is in excellent condition and has every chance to lift the second World Cup championship trophy. As a new generation leader in Chinese table tennis, she is full of confidence in the next journey.
The World Cup means a lot to Chen Meng, not only as the best training for next year's Paris Olympics, but also as a great opportunity to test her own strength. After this showdown with Miu Hirano, Chen Meng is obviously fully prepared to win the championship.
In the next semi-finals and finals, Chen Meng will also meet other tough opponents, such as teammates Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu. But judging by the 4-0 victory, she is in excellent form and has every chance of lifting her second Women's World Cup trophy. As a new generation leader in Chinese table tennis, Chen Meng is determined to compete in the World Cup and vows to go all out.
Congratulations to Chen Meng on her victory, and wish her a good result in defending the championship in this World Cup!