Table tennis star Wang Manyu's Olympic dream is overshadowed
Saudi Arabia is out of the Grand Slam
On May 10, 2024, in the World Table Tennis Professional League (WTT Grand Slam) event held in Saudi Arabia, Chinese national player Wang Manyu lost to India's "dark horse" player Manika Batra in the women's singles 1/16 finals, stopping in the round of 32 with a score of 1-3.
The match is seen as Wang Manyu's Grand Slam title and the final sprint for singles qualification for the Paris Olympics. The result was beyond everyone's expectations, Wang Manyu was at a loss in the key battle when he was in a hot state, and was finally defeated by the Indian youngster.
After the game, Wang Manyu could not hide his disappointment. "I am very sorry for this loss," she said. Batra's serve put a lot of pressure on me and I didn't deal with it well. This tournament was a huge setback for me. ＂
India's dark horse Batra shines
On the other side, 22-year-old India's Manika Batra put in an impressive performance. She not only defeated Wang Manyu in the round of 32, but also went all the way to win the championship by defeating her opponent in the final.
For India, which has always been regarded as a traditional power in table tennis, Batra's outstanding performance is undoubtedly the rise of a new force, bringing unprecedented challenges to China, Japan, South Korea and other table tennis powerhouses.
"I'm incredibly proud of my performance," Batra said after the fight, "It's a huge breakthrough for me to be able to beat a Chinese player in a tournament like this and win the title." I will continue to work hard to make greater contributions to the cause of table tennis in India. ＂
Olympic singles qualification was blocked
Wang Manyu's exit from this tournament has added many variables to her singles qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. According to the Olympic singles selection rules, each association can only send a maximum of two singles athletes, and Wang Manyu, who is currently ranked in the world, was originally regarded as the top seed in the national table tennis Olympic squad.
After her poor performance in this tournament, Wang Manyu's Olympic singles qualification has been questioned and threatened. The internal evaluation criteria of the national table tennis squad include the results of various events, the tricks with teammates and other aspects, and Wang Manyu's early exit from the Grand Slam will undoubtedly have an adverse impact on her Olympic singles qualification.
"Wang Manyu's performance in this tournament is really disappointing," Zhang Jike, the head coach of national table tennis, said in an interview, "We have not given up on her, she is still an important member of our Olympic team." Over the next few months, she will need to re-prove herself through training and competition to secure Olympic singles qualification. ＂
The national table tennis infighting will be more intense
In addition to Wang Manyu, there are also a number of young players with good strength in the national table tennis team competing for the Olympic singles qualification, and the internal competition will become more intense. Chen Meng, Wang Yidi, Sun Yingsha and others are all strong competitors.
"Every tournament is a challenge for us," Chen Meng said in an interview, "and we will do our best to compete on the field." We all wanted to qualify for the Olympic singles, but in the end, only the best two were able to get it. I will work hard and hopefully achieve my Olympic dream. ＂
In addition to the competition within the national table tennis, the challenges from traditional strong teams such as Japan and South Korea cannot be ignored. Japan's Mimato Ito, Hina Hayada and others are all strong opponents, while South Korea's Zhu Sungzhu and Tian Zhixi are also favorites to win the championship.
The future is promising
Although the defeat in this Grand Slam has brought a certain blow to Wang Manyu, her future is still worth looking forward to. As a young player at just 24 years old, Wang Manyu has already achieved many impressive achievements in his career, including two Grand Slam runner-up finishes and multiple World Tour titles.
Wang Manyu has tenacious perseverance and a love for table tennis. She once said in an interview: "Table tennis is not only a sport for me, but also my dream and life pursuit. I will continue to work hard until I achieve my goal. ＂
Faced with the defeat in this Grand Slam, Wang Manyu was not discouraged, but chose to regain his strength and go all out to prepare for the next match. Her coach Zhang Jike also has high hopes for her: "Wang Manyu is an excellent player, she has extraordinary talent and tenacious perseverance. I believe that as long as she continues to work hard, she will be able to regain her form and bring more pride to her country and fans." ＂