TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Cheng I-Ching (鄭怡靜), Taiwan's top table tennis player, lost 3-4 to China's Fan Siqi (范思琦) and failed to advance to the semifinals at the WTT China Smash on Friday (Oct. 4).
Cheng initially trailed in the first three games, scoring 9-11, 8-11, and 4-11. Facing elimination, she rallied with determination, winning the next three games 11-4, 11-5, and 11-7 to level the match.
However, in the decisive seventh game, Cheng's errors proved costly, resulting in an 11-4 defeat.
Despite being ranked eighth globally, Cheng struggled against Fan, who has no world ranking but displayed formidable skills by defeating China's Wang Yidi (王藝迪), ranked fourth in the event's opening round.
Cheng's previous encounter with Fan in January 2023 at the WTT Contender Doha saw her losing 1-3, highlighting Fan's consistent prowess.
In the doubles event, Cheng and partner Li Yu-jhun (李昱諄) also faced disappointment, losing 0-3 to the Chinese team of Wang Yidi and Sun Yingsha (孫穎莎), thus missing the finals.
