Chen Meng stopped in the top 4, the Olympic dream is slim, can he counterattack?
The 2024 Table Tennis World Cup kicked off in Macau, and Chen Meng lost to teammate Sun Yingsha in the semifinals and missed the defending champion. This has had a serious impact on her singles qualification for the Paris Olympics. After the game, Chen Meng's face was solemn and his eyes were gloomy, as if he realized that the Olympic dream might be empty.
Before this World Cup, Chen Meng's Olympic singles points ranking was only 210 points less than teammate Wang Manyu. However, in the semifinals, Chen Meng lost to Sun Yingsha and missed the championship, and could only get 750 team points and 525 world ranking points.
Wang Manyu's performance was outstanding, and he went all the way to the finals. According to the regulations of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, if Wang Manyu finally wins the championship, she will receive 3,000 team points and 1,500 world ranking points, 3,435 points more than Chen Meng. Even if Wang Manyu only wins the runner-up, he will continue to expand his advantage over Chen Meng, leading by at least 1485 points.
What's even more tricky is that Sun Yingsha was originally far ahead of Chen Meng by 11,173 points in Olympic points, and this time she reached the final, and the gap between the two sides will be further widened. Chen Meng's World Cup stop in the top 4 is undoubtedly a heavy blow to her Olympic singles qualification.
The dust hasn't settled yet. After this World Cup, the ITTF will also hold a Grand Slam tournament in Saudi Arabia, which is Chen Meng's last chance to turn the situation around. If she can reach at least the final of the Saudi Grand Slam, she may have a chance to overtake Wang Manyu.
This is no easy task. Wang Manyu is in good shape, her confidence is doubled, and she will do her best to block Chen Meng's counterattack. And Chen Meng's previous sluggish performance in the World Cup will undoubtedly form a certain haze psychologically. She will have to adjust quickly and give it her all if she can make a difference at the Saudi Grand Slam.
The bigger variable may come from Sun Yingsha. If Sun Yingsha can beat Wang Manyu in the World Cup final, then Chen Meng's chances will be greatly increased. However, Sun Yingsha's form has also been up and down recently, and it is difficult to say whether she can defend the throne of the world.
Chen Meng's Olympic dream is still not broken, but it is gone. She will have to give her all at the Saudi Grand Slam to leave a chance for herself. For the two-time Olympic gold medalist, it will undoubtedly be a tough battle.
Chen Meng's situation is certainly difficult, but she is not without opportunities. Table tennis has always changed hundreds of times, and any small negligence or accident can lead to a reversal of the overall situation.
Looking back on Chen Meng's career, she has repeatedly turned the tide and created miracles in desperate situations. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, she was reversed by Ding Ning in the final, falling behind 0-3, and it seems that there is no day to turn over. But she gritted her teeth and relied on her extraordinary perseverance to win four games in one go and finally won the championship.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Chen Meng once again suffered Waterloo. She lost two games in a row in the group stage and suffered the humiliation of being eliminated from the group stage for the first time in a decade. Countless people believe that she is past her peak and should retire. But Chen Meng did not give up, and she achieved consecutive good results in the subsequent World Cup and year-end finals, proving that she is not running out of gas.
Now, in the face of the crisis of Olympic qualification, Chen Meng will do his best again. She has always been a tenacious fighter and never gives up easily. In her dictionary, there are only four words: "never give up".
To make a difference at the Saudi Grand Slam, tenacity alone is not enough. Chen Meng must adjust his state in time to find his feel and rhythm. In the World Cup semi-finals, she made some low-level errors on her serve and backhand, which is one of her few mistakes.
In addition to the technical level, Chen Meng also needs to re-examine his psychological state. In the semifinals, she seemed overly nervous, stiff in her movements, and lacking her usual flexibility and wit. To make a difference at the Saudi Grand Slam, she has to relax and play freely.
Chen Meng's opponent is by no means a vegetarian. Wang Manyu and Sun Yingsha are both world-class experts, and they are equally eager to win at the Olympics.
Wang Manyu is 25 years old this year and is at the peak of his career. In the World Cup, she showed great fighting power and perseverance, and made it all the way to the final. If she can extend her momentum at the Saudi Grand Slam, she will be Chen Meng's biggest challenger.
Wang Manyu also has his own weaknesses. She is sometimes at a loss at crucial moments and lacks the focus on the competition. In the World Cup final last year, she was reversed by Chen Meng at the last kick. If she goes through such a situation again, it is likely to create a shadow psychologically.
Sun Yingsha may be Chen Meng's biggest rival. The 31-year-old veteran has been Chen Meng's nemesis, and the two have played against each other many times in the past, with Sun Yingsha having the upper hand. In the semifinals of this World Cup, Sun Yingsha defeated Chen Meng with a score of 4-2.
Sun Yingsha's form has been up and down, and sometimes there is a downturn. At the Qatar Open last month, she was beaten in the first round by a disadvantage. If her form slips again at the Saudi Arabia Grand Slam, Chen Meng may have a chance to take advantage of it.
If Chen Meng wants to make a difference at the Saudi Grand Slam, he will have to deal with the dual challenges of Wang Manyu and Sun Yingsha at the same time. It's no easy task, but it's not an impossible task for the two-time Olympic gold medallist.
Everything remains to be seen in the actual clash in the Saudi Grand Slam. No matter what the result is, I believe that Chen Meng will go all out and write a strong stroke for his career.