On January 1st, Beijing time, the final championship battle of the 2024 season of the Chinese Table Tennis Super League has begun. The women's team has already finished first, and Shandong Luneng won the championship with a total score of 3 to 2 against Shenzhen University, making up for the regret of losing 2-3 in the previous final. This is the third time that Shandong Luneng has won the women's team championship in four years, and it is also their ninth championship.
This match lasted for 4 hours and was very intense. Three sets were fought to the decisive game before the victory was decided. Sun Yingsha won two sets for Shenzhen University, both with a score of 3-2, showing how difficult it was to win. However, she was still unable to support herself alone, as her teammates Kuai Man and Tan Yuexuan failed to score, causing Sun Yingsha's efforts to go in vain. But they are still young and have more opportunities in the future.
Wang Manyu, Chen Xintong, and Qian Tianyi from the Shandong team all performed well today, each scoring points. Chen Xintong scored two points for Shandong, and Wang Manyu stopped the opponent's hope of turning the tide in the decisive set.
Controversial balls appeared again! In the decisive set, Tan Yuxuan faced Wang Manyu, and after the score was 1-1 in the fourth set, the referee ruled that the ball bounced twice on the table before Tan Yuxuan could receive it, thus awarding a point to Wang Manyu.
However, the slow-motion replay showed that Tan Yuxuan successfully returned the ball before the second bounce, so Shenzhen University protested, and both sides continued to argue about it. The referee still ruled in favor of Wang Manyu, but at this moment, the head referee came over and finally indicated that the point was invalid and should be replayed.
After the match, Wang Manyu responded to the controversial ball at the press conference: "Both teams played very well and did their best, including today's first doubles match and the third match between Tongtong and me, which was also very crucial. Laoqian and Sun Yingsha also played very well. I also experienced some objective factors in the fifth match and faced some difficulties, so being able to win is a very different experience."
In the third set of the fourth round, there was also a controversy over a sideline shot. Sun Yingsha believed the ball touched the edge and claimed to have heard the sound, while Qian Tianyi believed it did not touch the edge. The referee awarded the point to Qian Tianyi. This time, the referee did not allow a replay, which caused dissatisfaction among many fans.
Some fans expressed: "Regardless of whether it touched or not, why didn't the referee allow a replay and rolled his eyes? Why was it allowed when Luneng requested a replay in the fifth set? The referee is treating us differently."
Sun Yingsha said: "I think our team played very well in today's final. Whether it was the players on the field or all the support staff of Shenzhen University Club off the field, everyone's hearts were united. Although our strength in this match was slightly thin, I think the three athletes who competed performed very well."
Fighting together with Tan Yuxuan, Kuai Man, and Wu Yonglin was very enjoyable. The name "Shenzhen University Kindergarten" is well chosen. We are all post-00s and a young team. I hope they can improve through such competitions and wish them a better future.
The bonuses for the Table Tennis Super League have also been announced: Champion: Shandong Luneng 1 million yuan; Runner-up: Shenzhen University 700,000 yuan; Third place: Shanghai Longteng 300,000 yuan. Additionally, Chen Xintong received a bonus of 100,000 yuan for the singles MVP, and Qian Tianyi received a bonus of 80,000 yuan for the doubles MVP.
Chen Xintong undoubtedly received the most bonuses this time. The team's distribution will certainly not be lacking, plus the additional 100,000 yuan for singles, making her the biggest winner. From the first stage to the finals, she won every singles match. Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu mainly participated fewer times, played less, and accumulated fewer points.