On January 1st, Beijing time, the Ping Pong Super League (Ping Chao) finals concluded with Shandong Luneng winning the championship over Shenzhen University with a score of 3-2. However, the match was marred by controversy when a point involving Wang Manyu and Tan Yuxuan led to a ten-minute interruption and a surprising umpire decision.
Wang Manyu faced off against Tan Yuxuan in the fifth match of the women's team event, which was a peak confrontation in the Ping Chao league. The previous four matches had ended in a 2-2 tie, with Sun Yingsha achieving consecutive victories over Wang Manyu and Qian Tianyi. However, Shandong Luneng secured wins in the women's doubles and Chen Xingtong's singles match. As they reached the fourth set, with Wang Manyu leading 2:1, a massive controversial rally occurred, which would become the most discussed moment of the final.
At this critical juncture of the fifth match, where every point counted significantly, Wang Manyu and the 18-year-old Tan Yuxuan were tied at 1:1. Wang Manyu returned the ball with a net shot, which Tan Yuxuan managed to save. However, Wang Manyu believed that the ball had bounced twice on the table, while Tan Yuxuan insisted it only bounced once before she saved it.
The umpire initially ruled it as a double bounce, awarding the point to Wang Manyu. But Shenzhen University's team was not satisfied, and the head umpire directly intervened in the match. It could be seen that Sun Yingsha also led her team to request a replay review, directly intervening in the rally. The entire Shenzhen University team was protesting and expressing their dissatisfaction.
Subsequently, the scene began to repeatedly replay the slow-motion footage. The replay appeared to show that the ball indeed only bounced once, and Tan Yuxuan saved it without any double bounce occurring. The three slow-motion angles were quite clear, yet it remained unclear what the initial umpire's decision meant. Wang Manyu then became dissatisfied with the umpire and continued to argue her case, leading to an intense dispute, and the match was put on hold.
Next, Shandong Luneng was also dissatisfied and refused to continue playing. Both sides continued to confront the umpire, with Shenzhen University waiting for the match to resume, while Luneng was still in discussion. Ultimately, after the head umpire's intervention, the decision was made that the point would not count. Originally awarded to Wang Manyu, the point would neither be added to her score nor to Shenzhen University's, and the rally would be replayed.
This effectively meant that Wang Manyu's point was deducted. After arguing for ten minutes, the decision was made to replay the point directly. Moreover, Wang Manyu's emotions were visibly affected, ultimately losing the set 8:11. It is undeniable that even an athlete of Wang Manyu's caliber would be impacted by such controversy.
However, in the final set, Wang Manyu clinched victory with an 11:7 score, helping Shandong Luneng narrowly defeat Shenzhen University to claim the championship. After the win, she passionately celebrated, raising her hand in a "1" gesture towards the sky. This rally will undoubtedly be the most controversial and discussed moment of the final, which is why the final match lasted a total of four hours.