China sent seven representatives to the main draw of the US Smash. However, after the conclusion of the first round on the morning of 8/7 Hanoi time, more than half of the table tennis powerhouse's representatives were eliminated. These included Liang Jingkun, Lin Gaoyuan, Chen Yuanyu, and Zhou Qihao.

Liang, the 4th seed, lost 2-3 to the 84th-ranked French player Lilian Bardet, despite having been ahead twice. Lin, the 15th seed, also lost 2-3 to 61st-ranked Alvaro Robles, despite winning the first two games. The 16th seed, Chen, was defeated 1-3 by 46th-ranked Liam Pitchford. The other eliminated Chinese representative was Zhou, ranked 37th, who lost to 23rd-ranked Quadri Aruna.

Alvaro Robles (right) celebrates his victory over Lin Gaoyuan in the first round of the US Smash table tennis tournament at the Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on 7/7/2025. _Photo: Baidu_

Liang, Lin, and Chen were three of the four seeded players eliminated in the first round, along with 13th seed Anton Kallberg. The other 12 seeds advanced to the second round, which consists of 32 players.

The three remaining Chinese players are all seeded: top seed Lin Shidong, second seed Wang Chuqin, and 9th seed Xiang Peng.

Lin Shidong struggled to defeat 32nd-ranked Thibault Poret 3-2. Wang lost the first game to 22nd-ranked Kao Cheng-jui but still won 3-1. Xiang defeated Joao Geraldo, ranked outside the top 100, 3-1.

The US Smash is one of the four major tournaments on the WTT Tour, alongside events in China, Singapore, and Europe. Chinese media refer to these tournaments as the Grand Slams of table tennis. This year's tournament runs from 3/7 to 13/7, with the main draw beginning on 6/7, following a 64-player single-elimination format.

The elimination of three Chinese seeds in the first round of the US Smash is considered a surprise. At the most recent Smash tournament in Singapore in 2/2025, six out of eight Chinese players advanced past the first round, and none of their seeded players were eliminated early.

Xuan Binh