Fan Zhendong swept Ahn Jae-hyun 3-0 to advance to the round of 16
In the men's singles 1/16 finals of the 2024 WTT Saudi Arabia Grand Slam Table Tennis Tournament, Chinese star Fan Zhendong showed impressive form. As the top seed of this tournament, he swept past South Korea's Ahn Jae-hyun with a score of 3-0 to advance to the round of 16.
From the beginning of the game, Fan Zhendong took the initiative. His serve put a lot of pressure on his opponent, and Ahn Jae-hyun made frequent mistakes in the return link. Fan seized the opportunity and hit Ahn Jae-hyun's backhand with a couple of exciting topspin serves, but the latter couldn't effectively clear the ball and could only watch as the score was pulled away.
Entering the game, Fan Zhendong's advantage is even more obvious. He led the score all the way to 8-1, and Ahn Jae-hyun's timeout failed to turn the tide. Fan Jindong showed excellent quality in this game, and every time he hit back, he tried to hit the ball into the opponent's difficult position, and Ahn Jae-hyun ran around the court. Fan Zhendong won 11-4 again.
For Fan Zhendong, the game was a "softball" game without suspense. After he took a 4-0 lead, Ahn Jae-hyun asked for another timeout, but it was too late. Fan Zhendong maintained a high level of concentration, played every point quite excitingly, and finally sealed the victory with a score of 11-4, sweeping the opponent 3-0 to advance to the round of 16.
After the game, Fan Zhendong expressed considerable satisfaction with his performance. He said: "I was in good shape today, the quality of my serve and my start was as good as I expected. Ahn Jae-hyun is a fantastic opponent and I have to give my full attention to his challenge. To be able to qualify so smoothly is a good start for me. ＂
Only three Chinese men's singles players advanced to the round of 16
While Fan's performance was good news for the Chinese team, the performances of other Chinese players were quite disappointing. In the men's singles event of this Grand Slam, in addition to Fan Zhendong, only two other players of the Chinese team advanced to the round of 16, and the remaining four were all eliminated, which can be described as a mixed blessing.
Perhaps the most shocking thing is Malone's outing. As a three-time World Cup champion and seven-time World Tour Finals champion, Ma Long has high expectations for this Grand Slam tournament. He lost to Japan's Tomokazu Haramoto in the 1/16 finals and stopped with a score of 2-4. Tomokazu Zhang grasped the key points properly, while Ma Long began to malfunction under pressure and eventually fell short.
Chinese teenager Lin Gaoyuan also failed to make a difference in the showdown with Sweden's Falke, who lost 0-3 and stopped in the round of 32. Falke played quite well in this game, but Lin Gaoyuan looked helpless and failed to pose much of a threat to his opponent.
The poor start of the Chinese team forced the coaching staff to make some tactical adjustments. According to the post-match press conference, in the next game, the national table tennis will go all out to support Fan Zhendong and the other two players who have been promoted, and they will be China's best hope of winning the championship.
Fan Zhendong's play injected confidence into the national table tennis
Although the overall record of the Chinese men's singles is disappointing, Fan Zhendong's outstanding performance has undoubtedly injected a shot in the arm for the national table tennis. As the top seed in this Grand Slam, Fan Zhendong has shown the world that he is strong and determined, and he will be China's best hope for the title.
After the game, Liu Guoliang, the head coach of national table tennis, spoke highly of Fan Zhendong's performance. He said: "Fan Zhendong's performance today is encouraging, he showed what a champion should be. Although the rest of our team has been a bit disappointing, as long as Fan can maintain his form, we still have a chance to do well in this Grand Slam. ＂
For the next game, Fan Zhendong also has a clear goal. "I feel confident that I can play at this level in the first game," he said. The next opponents are only going to get stronger, so I have to be very focused and not careless. I will do my best to bring more joy to the country and the fans. ＂