In the Singapore Grand Slam arena, upsets, big wins, and narrow victories are all part of the exciting visual feast that unfolds... The first round of the Singapore Grand Slam main event has begun, with completed matches seeing Mima Ito suffer a 0-3 defeat, Chen Meng crush a Japanese star, and Wang Manyu narrowly defeat an Indian player.
A Big Upset! Mima Ito suffers a 0-3 defeat, making a first-round exit
In today's women's world table tennis scene, Mima Ito is considered the strongest foreign association player. She previously defeated Chen Meng for the first time at the Busan World Championships team event. Coming to Singapore, she was hoping for a breakthrough, but unexpectedly, in the first round against her teammate Miyuu Kato, she was completely shut out.
It's strange that the powerful Mima Ito, facing Miyuu Kato this time, didn't play to her strengths for some reason, losing in a muddled fashion with scores of 8-11, 11-13, and 7-11. Losing to Miyuu Kato might be understandable, but not winning a single game in three sets is indeed a cold upset. After the loss, Mima Ito made a first-round exit.
3-0 Sweep! Chen Meng dominates a Japanese star
Among the players representing China in the competition, Olympic champion Chen Meng faced Japanese star Miyu Nagasaki in the first round. It was originally thought that the opponent could pose some difficulties, but who would have expected that in front of the powerful Chen Meng, the opponent was no match and suffered a clean sweep.
In this match, Chen Meng changed her usual slow start and quickly got into the game. With her strong abilities, she quickly took the first set with an 11-5 victory. In the second set, Chen Meng continued her momentum, expanding the score to 11-6. Miyu Nagasaki, facing elimination with another loss, couldn't muster a winning performance in the third set, losing 5-11 again, resulting in a 0-3 defeat and an early exit, just like Mima Ito.
Hard-Fought Five Sets! Wang Manyu edges out Indian opponent 3-2
Recall at the Busan World Table Tennis Championships team event, when the Chinese team faced India, Yidi Wang lost 0-3 to Akula. In Singapore, Wang Manyu met her in the first round, a skilled rubber particle player who performed exceptionally well and almost defeated Wang Manyu.
The match between the two was a tug-of-war, with Wang Manyu winning 11-6, only to be leveled by the opponent in the second set. This back-and-forth continued until the score was tied at 2-2, and the match entered a decisive final set. Ultimately, Wang Manyu held on and won 11-8.
This victory was not easy, and Wang Manyu said, "The opponent is quite confident and unafraid of Chinese players. My ability to win the fifth set is about telling myself not to rely on luck, not to leave any room for retreat, and to fight the opponent." Wang Manyu's resolute attitude towards the game is a crucial quality in critical moments. If one is not resolute and doesn't fight the opponent, it's hard to predict the outcome. As the off-court mentor, Ma Lin also had a tough time, feeling the煎熬with each match his disciples played.