In the recent fierce showdown of the National Table Tennis World Cup, the six-game hard battle between Fan Zhendong and Lin Gaoyuan finally ended with Lin Gaoyuan defeating Fan Zhendong 4:2, successfully advancing to the semifinals, and will face Tomokazu Zhangmoto. Although Fan Zhendong lost this game, unexpectedly, this defeat brought a ray of life. The ITTF's recent statement shows that Lin Gaoyuan will face huge challenges in future competitions, and this result was also predicted by Deng Yaping's early prediction.
From the perspective of the game, Fan Zhendong's performance this time did not meet expectations, but behind this lies a reason for non-strength. Fan Zhendong applied for a medical timeout during the match due to numbness in a tendon in his hand, but despite this, he continued to fight with tenacity until the end. The injury outbreak, while unfortunate, provided an opportunity for the coaching staff to adjust their strategy, while also giving Fan time to reflect and adjust his form in preparation for the Olympics.
In addition, Fan Zhendong received an unfavorable penalty from the referee during the game, which had a great impact on his mentality. Nevertheless, from this defeat, Fan Zhendong can deeply analyze the referee's decision-making in order to better adjust his strategy in future matches. Fans don't have to worry about his prowess, and there is a chance to reclaim glory in international competitions in the future.
Deng Yaping once mentioned that when the strength of the two sides is close, whether it can be handled more delicately and reduce mistakes will be the key to the game. Lin Gaoyuan did a better job in this regard, which is why he was able to have the last laugh. Zhang Yining pointed out that Fan Zhendong's problem lies in his overly Sven style and mentality at critical moments. To this end, Fan Zhendong needs to learn from Wang Chuqin and behave more firmly and decisively.
Although Fan is still ranked second in the latest world rankings, his results and Olympic status show his strength. For Lin Gaoyuan, although he defeated Fan Zhendong this time, he will face a strong challenge from Tomokazu Zhangmoto, which is undoubtedly a more difficult battle. We expect Lin Gaoyuan to show his best form in both domestic and international arenas and meet the expectations of the fans.