Star Match Report! Female Table Tennis World Champion Suffers First Round Elimination, Kuai Man Shaves Head, Two Japanese Players Out
Beijing time on January 9th, the 2025 WTT Doha Star Match continued, with intense competition in the first official match. The national table tennis mixed doubles team of Xiang Peng/Kuai Man lost 0-3 to South Korea's Zhao Dacheng/Shin Yubin.
Japan also had two players eliminated, with Yoshimura Mao and Oota Satsuki losing a tough five-set battle to Hong Kong, China's Wong Chun Ting/Doo Hoi Kem. Japan is a combination of old and new, with Yoshimura Mao being a world champion in mixed doubles, but his state has long passed its peak.
Kuai Man was eliminated in the first round in both mixed doubles and women's doubles, which is quite regrettable. After all, her abilities and achievements in doubles are significantly better than in singles, especially in mixed doubles with Lin Shidong. This time, partnering with Xiang Peng in mixed doubles, she suffered a first-round elimination, indicating that she cannot be separated from Lin Shidong.
The opponent in the women's singles was Huang Yi-hua from Chinese Taipei, who is not very strong. Currently, Kuai Man's position in the national table tennis women's singles is far from the main force and lags behind Qian Tianyi, Shi Xunyao, He Zhuojia, etc. Although she receives key training, her results must improve, and many competitions require world rankings to participate.
At the beginning of the game, Kuai Man played very actively and aggressively, but due to consecutive mistakes, she fell behind 2-4. In the middle of the game, there were still various mistakes at 3-7. Through changes, she rekindled her offensive power, catching up to 7-7 and fighting to 10-10. Kuai Man controlled the table well and won 12-10 in a reversal.
In the second set, Kuai Man still played resolutely, taking the initiative to move her opponent around and leading 5-2. However, she made consecutive mistakes again, serving out of bounds, allowing Huang Yi-hua to catch up to 7-7. It was almost the opposite of the first set. Kuai Man saved a set point again at 9-10, able to withstand the pressure and take the initiative to attack, winning another set 12-10.
The third set started with a tight 3-3 score, with Kuai Man leading 6-3 before being caught up. Both sides were proactive in taking the initiative, and by the end of the set, it was 8-8. Kuai Man scored three points in a row again, securing the victory with an 11-8 score, advancing to the second round with a 3-0 victory.
Kuai Man's performance in this game was not ideal, with many mistakes, but fortunately, she successfully grasped the key moments at the end of each set, persisting with her tactics.
After the game, Kuai Man said that today was her third match, and the previous two doubles matches did not go well. She started this match trailing 3-7, feeling a bit unadapted to the venue and table, and the score was tight. However, winning is always good. Moving forward, she will play more determinedly, as there were some deviations in her tactical choices.
In another women's singles match, Liang Xiaoyin, the mixed doubles world champion from South Korea, was eliminated in the first round, losing 1-3 to Spain's Xiao Yaoxi. Ten years ago, Liang Xiaoyin partnered with Xu Xin to win the mixed doubles world championship, but her competitiveness is weaker, especially in singles. She came up from the qualifying rounds for this event but lost in the first round of the main draw. It was not easy for her to persevere until now.
In the first round of men's doubles, Xiang Peng/Xu Yingbin defeated the French pair of Brice/Alexis 3-1, with scores of 11-2, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8. The first two sets were won relatively easily, but in the third set, the opponents began to fight back, improving their quality. In the fourth set, Xiang Peng and Xu Yingbin played more cautiously, maintaining their advantage in rallies. Previously, Xiang Peng's mixed doubles and Xu Yingbin's men's singles had been eliminated, so men's doubles is still an opportunity for them to compete for good results.
After the game, Xiang Peng said that they mobilized very well at the beginning and communicated more with their partner. After losing the third set, they tried to adjust their tactics and control the rhythm. Xu Yingbin stated that they played well in the first two sets, starting quickly and being well-prepared for their opponents. In the third set, the opponents suddenly changed their rhythm, which they were not used to, and there were issues with their mentality in the key points. In the fourth set, with a tight score, they played firmly.