After the thrilling derby, Fan Zhendong finally narrowly defeated Lin Shidong 4-3 and successfully entered the top 8 of men's singles. After the game, he shared his journey honestly and sincerely.
Xiaopang admitted that in the first five games of today's game, he seemed to be in a whirlpool, whether it was the situation on the court or the score, it made him feel pressure. The best-of-seven format made him a little uncomfortable, but as the game progressed, he gradually found his rhythm. In the face of Lin Shidong's almost perfect performance, he could only grit his teeth and do his best.
Talking about the key moments of the game, Fan Zhendong said that although the victory in the second game was a bit of a fluke, it brought him a turnaround. However, in the third game, some of his handling was not delicate enough, causing the situation to get out of control for a while. Fortunately, in the fifth game, he adjusted in time and gradually regained his form by changing his serving strategy.
For the sixth game and the deciding game, Fan Zhendong bluntly said that these two games are a battle of life and death, and any slightest slack may lead to a full loss. Although he performed well in the lead, Lin Shidong's stubborn resistance made him feel unprecedented pressure. However, at crucial moments, he showed a superior mental quality to successfully drag the match into a tiebreaker and eventually won the victory with consistent play.
This tough game made Fan Zhendong deeply understand the cruelty of the knockout round, but he also saw his shortcomings and room for improvement. He said that he gained a lot from this competition, not only improving his technical level, but also exercising his mentality. He looks forward to continuing to maintain this state in future competitions and adding glory to the national table tennis.
All in all, Fan Zhendong's performance in this derby was amazing, he not only showed extraordinary strength, but also showed perseverance. We look forward to his success in the next competitions and write a new glorious chapter for national table tennis!