In the men's team semi-finals of the 2024 season's Super League Finals, Shanghai Real Estate faced off against Shandong Weiqiao, with Fan Zhendong losing 1-3 to Wang Chuqin. Recently, Fan Zhendong has become a focal point, as the 27-year-old withdrew from the world rankings. Now, Liu Guoliang has also responded, stating that Fan Zhendong can still participate in international competitions with a wildcard. In this match, Fan Zhendong was in poor form, even making multiple serving errors, ultimately losing to Wang Chuqin.
During the match, in the first set, Fan Zhendong once trailed significantly, catching up to 9-10, Wang Chuqin called a timeout, and upon returning, Wang Chuqin won the set, with Fan Zhendong losing the first set 9-11. In the second set, Fan Zhendong remained passive, losing 5-11! In the third set, Fan Zhendong started well, quickly widening the gap, winning 11-5 to take back one set, trailing 1-2 in the overall score. In the fourth set, Wang Chuqin started with a 3-0 lead, eventually winning the set 11-3, with Fan Zhendong losing the match 1-3.
Previously, in the first stage, Fan Zhendong had defeated Wang Chuqin. In this match, Wang Chuqin roared during the game, achieving revenge. As for Fan Zhendong, he seemed somewhat lacking in excitement.
Prior to this, Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng, and Ma Long successively withdrew from the world rankings, and now both the Chinese Table Tennis Association and Liu Guoliang have responded. Returning to the original question, why did Fan Zhendong suddenly announce his withdrawal from the world rankings at that time, what exactly was he opposed to? Now, Liu Guoliang's latest interview provides the answer.
Liu Guoliang stated in the interview that the WTT World Table Tennis League's regulations on participation requirements, assigning zero points, fines, etc., are debatable, and these actions may exert significant pressure on athletes. Among them, assigning zero points and fines are the issues Fan Zhendong opposes the most. Originally, Fan Zhendong had been assigned zero points multiple times due to missing matches, and now, under the new WTT rules, not participating also incurs a fine. Ultimately, Fan Zhendong proactively withdrew from the world rankings.
Liu Guoliang also mentioned that he will seek proper solutions to the athletes' concerns through channels such as urgently convening an executive committee and forming a working group in the near future. It remains to be seen whether the 27-year-old Fan Zhendong will return to the international arena in the future!