TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Paris Olympic table tennis draw on Wednesday (July 24) has set the stage for Taiwan's top players as they prepare for intense competition.
Cheng I-ching (鄭怡靜) will face a winner from the preliminary round in the women's singles round of 64, with a potential clash against South Korea's Jeon Ji-hee in the round of 16. Cheng I-ching's coach, Cheng Chia-chi (鄭佳奇), expressed confidence in Cheng I-ching abilities, hoping she can deploy all her skills. If Cheng I-ching advances, she could meet China's Sun Yingsha (孫穎莎) in the quarterfinals.
On the men's side, Lin Yun-ju (林昀儒) will compete against Puerto Rico's Brian Afanador in his opening match. Lin appears set for a smooth path to the quarterfinals, where he may encounter either France's Felix Lebrun or Germany's Dimitrij Ovtcharov, both formidable opponents.
In mixed doubles, Lin and Cheng I-ching previously won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. For the Paris Olympics, Lin and his new partner Chen Szu-yu (陳思羽) face a tough draw, likely meeting the top-seeded Chinese duo of Wang Chuqin (王楚欽) and Sun Yingsha in the quarterfinals.
Taiwan's table tennis athletes are gearing up for their matches on Saturday (July 27), aiming for victory and hoping to replicate past successes.