Prior to the match on the morning of 11/7, Hanoi time, Sun Yingsha had won 20 consecutive matches across all competitions. She was undefeated in World Table Tennis (WTT) and world championship events this year, including titles at the Singapore Smash, WTT Champions in Chongqing, the World Cup, and the World Championship. Her world ranking points were almost equal to the combined points of the second and third-ranked players.

However, against Chen Yi, Sun couldn't maintain her winning form. She lost 9-11, 11-7, 5-11, and 9-11, missing out on a quarter-final spot.

Sun Yingsha during her match against Chen Yi in the women's singles round of 16 at the US Smash table tennis tournament in Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on 10/7/2025. Photo: 163

The 21-year-old Chen, ranked 17th in the world, hasn't won any major titles. Reaching the round of 16 already exceeded her expectations, she said, allowing her to play with a relaxed mindset, having "nothing to lose" against Sun. Meanwhile, the top seed faced the pressure of defending her title.

The 25-year-old Sun is considered a table tennis prodigy in China. Before this match, she had played 43 singles and doubles matches this year, winning 41 and losing only two. Those losses were in the women's doubles with Wang Yidi at the Singapore Smash and in the women's singles against Wang Manyu at the Asian Cup.

Wang Manyu, the world number two, also suffered a surprising defeat, losing 8-11, 6-11, 11-8, 5-11 to Macau's Zhu Yuling in the round of 16 on the same day. This means that neither the world number one nor number two will feature in the quarter-finals.

Sun remained composed after the loss, showing only disappointment. She calmly folded her towel, packed her belongings, and left the playing area. A few hours later, she returned with Wang Manyu for their women's doubles quarter-final match, winning 3-1 against Doo Hoi Kem/Shin Yu-bin to advance to the semi-finals. With their elimination from the singles competition, Sun and Wang will now have more time to focus on their doubles matches.

The US Smash is one of the four premier events on the WTT Tour, alongside tournaments in China, Singapore, and Europe. Chinese media refer to these tournaments as the Grand Slams of table tennis. This year's US Smash runs from 3/7 to 13/7, with the main draw starting on 6/7, featuring a 64-player knockout format for both men's and women's singles.

Xuan Binh