Chinese table tennis suffers shocking defeat

On the opening day of the US Smash - one of the most prestigious tournaments in table tennis, China suffered a shocking defeat when 3 players were eliminated early.

Liang Jingkun left the tournament early despite being in the top 4 seeds - Photo: XN

World No. 5 talent and also the tournament's No. 4 seed, Chinese player Liang Jingkun unexpectedly lost to French player Lilian Bardet - currently ranked No. 84 in the world - on the opening day of the tournament.

The match ended after five dramatic games (5‑11, 11‑8, 8‑11, 11‑8, 11‑5), a stunning comeback by Bardet. It brought a stunning defeat to Liang Jingkun, the experienced player of Chinese table tennis.

On the same day, 16th seed Chen Yuanyu also lost to British player Liam Pitchford with a score of 1-3 (7-11, 8-11, 13-11, 10-12). Pitchford was also rated lower, ranked 46th in the world, nearly 30 places below Chen.

Lin Gaoyuan, the 15th seed, followed in his teammate's footsteps when he lost 2-3 to Spanish opponent Álvaro Robles despite leading 2‑0.

In the press conference after the series of surprising results, the head coach of the Chinese team, Mr. Li Sun, frankly shared: "These losses do not reflect the true ability of the players, the problem lies in the mentality when facing pressure.

We will review all preparations, from tactics to mental stability in the final series."

The US Smash is one of the four most prestigious tournaments in the WTT (World Table Tennis) system. This is considered the prestigious Grand Slam tournament system of world table tennis. The total prize of the tournament is up to 1.55 million dollars and 2,000 bonus points for each male/female singles champion.

In particular, compared to the other tournaments (taking place in China, Singapore and Europe), the US Smash taking place in the entertainment-rich city of Las Vegas (USA) received even more attention and is considered the most difficult tournament for China to dominate the table tennis world.

"We will review our training plan, prioritizing exercises to maintain stability while leading, and at the same time strengthen training on psychological reactions under pressure to avoid collapsing against lower-rated opponents," coach Li Sun added.

Despite the trio's defeat, China still has plenty of hope in other players. Top seed Wang Chuqin maintained his form, advancing to the second round with a 3-1 win over Iulian Chirita.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bong-ban-trung-quoc-nhan-that-bai-gay-soc-2025070904402107.htm