(Shaanxi National Games) Table Tennis Team: Defending Champions Shanghai Men’s Team Get Out
China News Service, Yan’an, September 20th (Reporter Wang Yu) On the 20th, the table tennis team event of the 14th National Games entered the knockout stage. The defending champion Shanghai Men’s Team was upset by the Shaanxi team 2:3, but unfortunately stopped in the quarterfinals. The Tokyo Olympic men’s team champion and Shanghai star Xu Xin bluntly said after the game that his state has not been adjusted to the best.
In the men’s team of the 2017 Tianjin National Games, the Shanghai team composed of Xu Xin, Shang Kun, and Zhao Zihao won a strong victory over the Sichuan team in the final. After the 2nd National Games in 1965, they once again boarded the men’s team event. Championship podium.
The strength of the Shanghai Men’s Table Tennis Team in the Tianjin National Games cycle has not continued to this day. Four years later, the same lineup, but ushered in different results.
The journey of the Shanghai Men’s Team in the current National Games can be described as “high driving and low going”. In the first three games of the group match, the Shanghai team defeated the Shandong team, the Hunan team and the Hong Kong team one after another, and maintained a record of 0 losses.
But in the last group match against the Hebei team, Hebei star Liang Jingkun played two games, not only won the “national matchup” with Xu Xin, but also easily defeated the Shanghai star Zhao Zihao, helping the team win 3:1.
In the quarter-finals, the Shanghai team, who qualified as the second in Group D, faced the Shaanxi team, who was the first in Group C. In the game, Zhao Zihao and Xu Xin scored two points for the Shanghai team. Veteran Shang Kun was in poor condition and lost in two games. After four games, the two sides drew 2:2.
In the crucial fifth contest, Zhao Zihao faced 41-year-old veteran Hou Yingchao. Both sides played for the second time in this game. Although the former stubbornly tied the score with 0:2 behind, the lack of handling of the key ball in the decisive game made Zhao Zihao finally defeated his opponent 2:3, and the Shanghai team stopped in the quarterfinals of the National Games.
After the game, Xu Xin said that despite being the defending champion, the team’s playing system is no longer advanced. “In terms of personnel allocation, although we are the same people, we are slowly getting old. Now the entire playing system is also Not that advanced.”
As the core of the team, Xu Xin played as the number three single in this game. When talking about why the team made such an arrangement, he responded: “I haven’t adjusted to the best condition. Young players rushed more and their condition was much better than mine.”
After the end of the men’s team at the National Games, Xu Xin will concentrate on preparing for the next mixed doubles and men’s singles. He said that his focus is still on mixed doubles. “I think more about playing mixed doubles.” (End)
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