On January 16, 2025, the WTT regular table tennis tournament in Muscat continued. Following the women's doubles, the men's doubles of the national table tennis team also suffered a complete defeat, with Huang Youzheng and Chen Yuanyu losing 1-3 to Zhang Youan and Hong Jingkai. In the previous station, Xiang Peng and Xu Yingbin won the men's doubles championship, but now the national table tennis team has missed the opportunity to win again.
In the men's doubles semi-finals, the national table tennis team's combination of Huang Youzheng and Chen Yuanyu faced off against the Chinese Taipei pair of Zhang Youan and Hong Jingkai. In the previous station, Huang Youzheng performed well in the mixed doubles, partnering with Shi Xunyao to win the runner-up. Now, they have entered the final again, facing off against the Spanish pair of Robles and Xiao Yaoqi for the championship. As for the singles, Chen Yuanyu has advanced to the semifinals, while Huang Youzheng lost to Tomokazu Harimoto, leaving him unable to proceed further.
The young pair of Zhang Youan and Hong Jingkai may seem unfamiliar because they have only recently started participating in adult competitions, having previously been active in junior events, much like Guo Guanhong who defeated Xiang Peng. The fact that Zhang Youan and Hong Jingkai reached the semifinals indicates that their competitive level is not too poor. Moreover, doubles matches inherently have a certain degree of randomness, requiring extremely high levels of on-site performance from the players. The national table tennis team needs to avoid underestimating their opponents.
It is worth noting that the national table tennis coaching staff did not pay enough attention to the men's doubles, with only Huang Youzheng and Chen Yuanyu registering for this event. There was no long-term fixed lineup, with different players being paired up temporarily each time. This naturally leads to a lower level of tacit understanding, relying more on individual abilities. Given this situation, it is important to ensure a left-right partnership as much as possible, at least ensuring smooth positioning, which makes things relatively easier.
After the start of the match, the national table tennis team encountered difficulties in the first set. Huang Youzheng and Chen Yuanyu were completely out of sync with their opponents' rhythm, finding it very awkward to play. Zhang Youan and Hong Jingkai took the lead with an 11-7 victory. In the second set, both sides fought back and forth, with Huang Youzheng and Chen Yuanyu stabilizing their position and winning the set 13-11. However, in the third set, Huang Youzheng and Chen Yuanyu faltered again, allowing Zhang Youan and Hong Jingkai to maintain their lead and win the set 11-9.
In the fourth set, Zhang Youan and Hong Jingkai led 4-2, prompting Huang Youzheng and Chen Yuanyu to call a timeout. Subsequently, Zhang Youan and Hong Jingkai capitalized on their momentum, ending the match with an 11-3 victory. They ultimately eliminated Huang Youzheng and Chen Yuanyu with a 3-1 scoreline. From this match, it is clear that a fixed lineup is significantly different from a temporary partnership. Although Zhang Youan and Hong Jingkai are young and lack experience, they were able to support each other, making their victory quite reasonable. The national table tennis team's men's doubles suffered a complete defeat.
As for the women's doubles, the national table tennis team had already suffered a complete defeat earlier. The Japanese pair advanced to the final again, with Da藤沙月 and Yokozuka Sakura turning the tables on Suljan and Lupulescu with a 3-1 victory. They will compete for the championship against the Hong Kong pair of Zhu Chengzhu and Wu Yonglin. It remains to be seen whether Zhu Chengzhu and Wu Yonglin can successfully challenge the world's number one this time.