Table tennis is a national sport in China, with countless fans. Whenever there is a major event, the eyes of fans across the country will be firmly locked on the national team, expecting them to create good results and continue to maintain the status of the world's No. 1 table tennis power. The Saudi Grand Slam is undoubtedly one of the most important events in table tennis in 2024, and the World Cup, as the focus of the event, has received unprecedented attention. On the first day of the competition, a shocking upset result hit the confidence of national table tennis.
Three of China's top table tennis players, world champions Ma Long, Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, suffered Waterloo in the first round, and although they once held a big lead, they were all forced to draw and failed to get off to a good start. This is undoubtedly a heavy blow, casting a shadow on the road to the World Cup of national table tennis. Whether the Triple Crown can regain its strength will directly determine whether it can win the championship in the end, which has become the biggest suspense of the event.
1. Ma Long, Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, as the leading players of national table tennis, are very popular, and the expectations of fans for them are also quite high. Before the race, the three of them were considered the favourites to win the event. At the beginning of the game, the performance of the three did not disappoint the fans. In the match with his opponent, Ma Long quickly took a 2-0 lead with excellent serve and accurate backhand. Fan Zhendong also had the upper hand in the first game, winning the game with an advantage of 11-5, and he led with a high score of 11-3 in the game, which once made people think that he would sweep the opponent smoothly. As for Chen Meng, although she was not as far ahead as Ma Long and Fan Zhendong, she also had an advantage in key points, and once made people think that she would advance smoothly.
Second, at this moment, an unexpected plot reversal occurred. Ma Long and Fan Zhendong lost two games in a row when they were on the verge of kicking, and the big score was tied and they missed a good opportunity. Malone looked a little weak in the game and the fourth game, the quality of his serve declined, and his backhand ball also lost its previous steadiness, and finally was tied 2-2 on aggregate. The same was true for Fan Zhendong, who began to fluctuate in form after leading 2-0, making frequent mistakes in the game and the fourth game, and finally being forced to draw 2-2. As for Chen Meng, after she once had an advantage, she was also stubbornly counterattacked by her opponent, and was finally swept with a total score of 0-3, becoming the only one among the three national table tennis generals who failed to score points that day.
3. As a national team that was regarded as the favorite to win the championship before the game, it was undoubtedly a heavy blow to it in the first game. The collective setbacks of the three world champions have led to a sharp increase in psychological pressure. Whether they can regain their fighting spirit in the next games will directly determine whether the national team can win the World Cup this time. This has undoubtedly become the biggest suspense of the whole event. Fans are also looking forward to whether the national table tennis can regain its strength and re-establish its dominance.
Fourth, such an upset result is not without precedent in the World Cup project. As one of the most valuable events in table tennis, the World Cup has always been highly competitive and frequent. At the 2022 World Cup in Houston, then world No. 1 Tomokazu Harimoto and Misei Ito, who was also a Japanese national player, suffered Waterloo in the first round and were forced to draw. It is still relatively rare for three Chinese world champions to lose at the same time. Analysts believe that the main force of national table tennis may be due to the fact that they have participated in a number of tour tournaments in a row, and they are tired of running for their lives, and it is inevitable that their state will decline.
Fifth, the national table tennis triple crown suffered a setback in the first game of the World Cup, which has become an ironclad fact. Whether they can regain their form and fighting spirit in the next games will directly determine whether they can finally win this gold-rich championship for the national team. For Ma Long, Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, this is undoubtedly a huge test. As the pillars of national table tennis, they have the responsibility and obligation to bring honor to the national team. As for the fans, they will definitely continue to pay attention to the performance of national table tennis, and look forward to the triple crown to re-establish their dominance and add glory to Chinese table tennis.
On the first day of the Saudi Grand Slam World Cup, there was a major upset, and the national table tennis triple crown champions Ma Long, Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng were forced to draw under a 2-0 lead. This was undoubtedly a heavy blow and cast a shadow over the national team's hopes of winning the championship. For the main force of national table tennis who has experienced countless battles of life and death, such a setback is not insurmountable. They have the strength and determination to turn things around. Whether the Triple Crown can regain its strength will directly determine whether the national team can win the championship in the end, which has become the biggest suspense of the event. As fans, of course, we hope that they can regain their form and add glory to Chinese table tennis. Let's wait and see the rise of the main force of national table tennis.