Chen Menglik Zhang Ben, Japanese teenagers are losing and retreating, how far is the road to the championship?
In the women's singles quarterfinals of the 2024 WTT Saudi Arabia Grand Slam, China's Chen Meng and Japan's rising star Miwa Zhangmoto had a key matchup. The two have played each other in a number of tournaments before, and Chen Meng has the upper hand. However, as the leader of the new generation of Japanese table tennis, Zhang Benmeihe's strength should not be underestimated. This escalating showdown in the civil war is not only about personal honor, but also carries the competition for national honor and Olympic singles qualification.
At the beginning of the first game, Chen Meng showed a very high level. Her serve spins are varied, putting a lot of pressure on Miwa Zhang. In the service link, Chen Meng took the initiative. In the subsequent counterattack stage, Chen Meng's flexible and changeable technical response resolved Zhang Benmeihe's attacks one by one. Chen Meng's excellent rhythm control made Zhang Benmeihe often beaten passively. With his excellent performance, Chen Meng quickly won the first game 11-6.
Zhang Benmei and made adjustments to strengthen the attack. She launched a fierce counterattack in Chen Meng's serve, not giving Chen Meng a chance to breathe. The two sides come and go, and the battle on the field is very stalemate. However, in the crucial minute, Chen Meng played a high-quality attack and pulled the game back to a city.
Entering the second half, Chen Meng exerted further pressure. In the game, she completely controlled the rhythm of the game and won 11-4, forcing Zhang Benmeihe into a desperate situation. In the game, Zhang Benmei and tenaciously chased the score, but Chen Meng responded calmly, and finally won the game 11-9 with a steady and steady style of play.
At the beginning of the tiebreaker, Chen Meng took the initiative. Her serve and return were extremely threatening, and Zhang Benmei and Miwa were defeated by Chen Meng's high-quality attack. Chen Meng sealed the victory with 11-8, defeated Zhang Benmeihe 4-1 and advanced to the semifinals.
This victory is not only a victory for Chen Meng's skills and tactics, but also a victory for psychological quality and willpower. In this showdown where the civil war escalated, Chen Meng showed extremely high comprehensive strength. She defeated Japan's three main players, Miu Hirano, Miwa Haramoto and Hina Hayata, to earn herself the women's singles qualification for the Paris Olympics. Chen Meng's outstanding performance reflects the profound strength of Chinese table tennis, but the rapid growth of young Japanese players has also brought pressure and motivation to the Chinese team. This kind of competition will promote the development of table tennis.
Chen Meng showed extremely high overall strength in this match, but Zhang Benmeihe's performance also showed her potential.
Although the final score was 4-1, Zhang Benmeihe also had a lot of bright performances in the game. Although she was suppressed by Chen Meng in the first game, she did not give up. In the game, Zhang Benmei adjusted his tactics in time and increased his offensive efforts, which made Chen Meng fall passive for a while. The two sides launched a fierce tug-of-war in this game, you come and go, and the scene is very stale. Although in the end, Chen Meng won with experience and key balls, Zhang Benmeihe has already shown her strength.
Chen Meng had the upper hand, but Zhang Benmeihe did not give up. In the fourth game, she stubbornly chased the score, although she still lost to Chen Meng in the end, but she showed a tenacious fighting spirit in the process. In the decisive game, although Zhang Benmeihe was behind, she did not give up and kept biting the score. It wasn't until she was defeated by Chen Meng's high-quality attack.
Although Zhang Benmeihe lost in the end, she has already shown her strength. In the face of a top master like Chen Meng, she was not suppressed too hard, but showed a fighting spirit on the field. Although some shortcomings have been exposed, such as the lack of response to Chen Meng's serve rotation and changes, and the frequent passive beating under Chen Meng's rhythm control, these can be corrected and improved through hard work in the future.
As a leader of the new generation of Japanese table tennis, Zhang Benmeihe's strength should not be underestimated. She has already achieved great results on the international stage at such a young age. Although she lost to Chen Meng this time, her fighting spirit and potential made people look forward to her future development.
This match is not only a personal contest between Chen Meng and Zhang Benmei, but also a microcosm of the Sino-Japanese table tennis contest. China fielded a strong squad for the Grand Slam, while Japan was full of young stars. The duel between the two sides on the field reflects the contrast in strength between the two traditional table tennis powers.
As the main force of the Chinese team, Chen Meng showed a very high level in this competition. Her serve spin is varied and her attacking tactics are superb. She showed a strong mental quality and experienced tactical strategy on the field. These are the hard skills she has developed in the national team for many years.
Although Zhang Benmeihe also showed her fighting spirit and potential, compared with Chen Meng, she still has a certain gap in terms of on-the-spot experience and psychological quality. This is also a common problem for young players who need to gain experience in future games.
The rapid growth of young Japanese players such as Miwa Zhang has also brought some pressure to the Chinese team. In this Grand Slam, although the Chinese team has a strong lineup, it has also encountered many challenges. Japanese players such as Miu Hirano and Hina Hayada have caused some trouble for the Chinese team. This kind of competition will promote the development of both sides and even the whole table tennis sport.
The competition between China and Japan in the table tennis arena is bound to become more and more intense. Although the Chinese team is strong, it is also facing the problem of age structure. The Japanese team, on the other hand, is full of new stars and vitality. The collision of the two sides on the field will surely bring more exciting games to the fans. We have reason to believe that in future events, Chen Meng and Zhang Benmei will stage more peak duels.