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Mike Chan

Macau’s Zhu Yuling won the World Table Tennis (WTT) US Smash women’s singles title in Las Vegas on Sunday, and then praised the “eye-catching” performance of her beaten opponent Chen Yi.
Chen had captured the imagination of fans in mainland China after eliminating some of the game's biggest stars, including world No 1 Sun Yingsha, en route to the final.
But Zhu, herself a former world No 1, battled back from two games down to win 7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8 at the Orleans Arena.
“I hope everyone will give Chen a round of applause,” Zhu said. “Her performance was very eye-catching.
“She has experience beyond her age, and watching her was like seeing myself when I was younger.”

Zhu, who also urged Chen to “be yourself” and ignore what the outside world thinks, said it was a game of fine margins.
“From a professional perspective, today’s match was not a high-level one,” Zhu said. “There are some similarities in our technical playing styles.
“It was more of a contest between attack and defence in today’s match; it was like a fight between a spear and a shield.”
Sunday’s win made it two in two from Zhu over Chen, and the 30-year-old was full of praise for her junior opponent who surprised many with her run to the final.
Zhu only returned to the sport in Macau last September. Having first topped the singles rankings while representing China in November 2017 and remained No 1 for another eight months before being struck down by illness, which kept her out of action for almost three years.
“It was my 41st WTT match [since coming back]. I just want to keep a record of every match,” she said. “I do not know how much longer I can play for, and I have no idea when the end is.
“I hope this dream can last longer. When it ends depends on when I wake up. I want to be the master of my own life.

“My past experiences are a valuable asset to me, and it also depends on how I look at current problems. Winning the championship is great, but I don’t want to think about the future. The easiest time is always yesterday.”
In a one-sided men’s singles final, Wang Chuqin dispatched Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan in straight games, sealing a commanding 11-3, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8 victory in just 36 minutes.
It was the third top-tier WTT singles title for Wang, following triumphs in China and Saudi Arabia last year.
“I am very pleased to win the title in the US,” the 25-year-old from Jilin said. “Still, I found there were lots of problems and room for improvement. I would love to reflect and go back to work on them.
“Thank you to my fans for all your support. I wasn’t expecting to see so many of you here; I felt my performance didn’t disappoint this time.”
The world No 2, however, is set to miss the WTT Europe Smash next month, which will be held at Malmo Arena in Sweden from August 14 to 24, after his name was not put forward.
World No 1 Lin Shidong and World No 5 Liang Jingkun will represent China, with reigning World Cup winner Hugo Calderano of Brazil also expected to return after being barred from entering the US earlier this month.


China thrash Japan to seal third table tennis World Cup title, historic bronze for Germany

Wang and Sun warm up for WTT Finals as China hammer Hong Kong in Mixed Team World Cup

WTT Finals: Lebrun reveals which Chinese ace he most wants to beat in Hong Kong

WTT Finals: Truls Moregard aims to create more happy memories of Hong Kong

ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation)

Macau’s Zhu claims WTT US Smash victory, then hails ‘eye-catching’ display by Chen

Zhu Yuling with her women’s singles trophy following her final victory over Chen Yi in Las Vegas. Photo: Handout

Zhu Yuling (right) came back from behind to beat Chen at the WTT United States Smash on Sunday. Photo: Handout

Wang Chuqin in action during the WTT Smash in Las Vegas. Photo: Handout

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Zhu Yuling fights back to win 4-2, stopping Chen Yi’s dream run at the WTT US Smash in Las Vegas.


Wang Chuqin

Macau’s Zhu claims WTT US Smash victory, then hails ‘eye-catching’ display by Chen

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Zhu Yuling fights back to win 4-2, stopping Chen Yi’s dream run at the WTT US Smash in Las Vegas.

Zhu Yuling fights back to win 4-2, stopping Chen Yi’s dream run at the WTT US Smash in Las Vegas.