On January 1st, Beijing time, the women's team final of the Ping Pong Super League finals saw a fierce battle between Shenzhen University and Shandong Luneng. The match went to five sets before a winner was decided. Despite Sun Yingsha scoring two points, Shenzhen University fell short with a 2-3 defeat to Shandong Luneng, securing the runner-up position in the Ping Pong Super League finals. Led by Wang Manyu, Shandong Luneng emerged as the champions and the biggest winners.
First Set (11-5, 7-11, 5-11, 11-13): Xuan/Tianyi 1-3 Qian Tianyi/Chen Xingtong. Shenzhen University lost the first set, which was expected. Both Qian Tianyi and Chen Xingtong are main players for the national table tennis team, having participated in many international competitions. Although they are not considered absolute core players, they are already capable of competing with several Olympic champions.
Second Set (9-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5): Sun Yingsha 3-2 Wang Manyu. This set was particularly stressful for Sun Yingsha, especially after falling behind 0-2 in the first two games. In the third game, Sun Yingsha made a comeback with an 11-9 victory, and her state continued to improve, eventually reversing the situation against Wang Manyu. Sun Yingsha celebrated with a clenched fist, and the battle between the world's number 1 and number 2 did not disappoint the fans, being hailed as the most exciting match in the Ping Pong Super League so far.
Third Set (8-11, 5-11, 11-7, 7-11): Man 1-3 Chen Xingtong. Man was defeated by Chen Xingtong, showing a gap in skill. Chen Xingtong contributed two points for Shandong Luneng in both doubles and singles matches, playing a significant role in their victory.
Fourth Set (11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-3): Sun Yingsha 3-2 Qian Tianyi. Sun Yingsha once again made a comeback in this set, defeating Wang Manyu and then Qian Tianyi, both matches going the full five sets. Sun Yingsha stood the test.
During this set, controversy arose in the third game when Sun Yingsha insisted that her return shot had grazed the edge of the table, even discussing it with the referee. Her opponent, Qian Tianyi, disagreed with Sun Yingsha's view, believing that the ball did not graze the edge. From the circumstances at the time, it seemed that Sun Yingsha appealed, claiming she heard the sound of the ball grazing the edge, but the referee ruled that it did not graze the edge, awarding the point to Qian Tianyi.
The fifth set was the ultimate decisive battle, with Xuan facing off against Wang Manyu. Shenzhen University was not favored, considering Wang Manyu's comprehensive strength is comparable to Sun Yingsha's.
In the first game, Wang Manyu won quickly with an 11-4 victory. Xuan, with the mindset of challenging the world's number 2, could also enhance her skills. She is 7 years younger than Wang Manyu, born in 2006, and only 18 years old this year, with the potential for future key training by the national table tennis team.
In the second game, Xuan won quickly with an 11-3 victory. Wang Manyu's state fluctuated, with more mistakes in this game, and physical issues arose, especially after the intense five-game battle with Sun Yingsha.
In the third game, Shenzhen University and Shandong Luneng were on equal footing, with both Xuan and Wang Manyu under immense pressure, making this game akin to a decisive battle. Wang Manyu started with a 5-1 lead, but Xuan fought back to 6-7! During the timeout, Sun Yingsha even acted as a coach, guiding her junior Xuan, showing how intense the match was, and Sun Yingsha appeared very nervous. Wang Manyu still managed to win the crucial game with an 11-7 score.
In the fourth game, another controversy arose. When the score reached the third ball, Wang Manyu's return shot grazed the net, and it seemed that Xuan might have hit the ball twice, but it was not easy to determine. Both sides discussed with the referee, and Xuan looked very agitated.
The referee initially awarded the point to Wang Manyu, but later changed the decision, and both sides replayed the rally. Wang Manyu's mentality seemed to have collapsed a bit. This unexpected incident was surprising, but it seemed that neither side was satisfied with the referee's decision.
Xuan completely let go and overtook Wang Manyu with a 6-4 lead. Wang Manyu then scored three consecutive points to take the lead at 7-6, followed by a critical point where Xuan won 11-8, dragging the match into a decisive game that would determine the championship.
In the fifth game, Wang Manyu completed a comeback from a trailing position with a 6-2 lead! Xuan gradually crumbled, but it was already impressive that she could play Wang Manyu to a decisive game. Ultimately, Wang Manyu won 11-7. Shandong Luneng defeated Shenzhen University 3-2, winning the women's team championship of the Ping Pong Super League!