Forecast calls for bright Sun rise
CHENGDU — In two short weeks, Chinese youth paddler Sun Yingsha has made a name for herself in the table tennis world as the 16-year-old claimed her first ITTF World Tour title at the Japan Open and then reached the final of the China Open.
Though she lost 4-1 to world No 1 Ding Ning in the women’s final at the China Open last Sunday, Sun has recorded a perfect start at the ITTF World Tour tournaments by winning her first 11 matches, including victories over established stars Liu Shiwen, Chen Meng, and Feng Tianwei.
“The China Open was just my second World Tour event. Before the competition, my goal was not to lose to foreign players and just try to play game by game,” Sun said after defeating teammate and second seed Liu Shiwen without losing a game in the semifinal on Saturday.
“Maybe it was because nobody noticed me before that I got some chances.”
Sun’s weaknesses were exposed against Olympic champion Ding in the final.
After losing the first game, top seed Ding quickly got back on track to take four straight and claim her third China Open singles title and snap Sun’s stunning run.
“It was not my normal form today; Ding put too much pressure on me, especially with her serve,” Sun said.
“I won the first game, but then Ding knew my tactics so well and dominated. I can see that I still have to learn a lot from top players like Ding.”
Hailing from Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, Sun first caught the public’s attention in 2015 when she won the singles title at the Junior National Championships before being selected for the National Team B in the same year.
In January this year, she was promoted to Team A.
Her emergence parallels the rise of Japan’s Miu Hirano, the 17-year-old who shot to fame by winning the Asian Championships in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, in April.
Stunned by Hirano’s rapid rise, and in a bid to prepare for the Dusseldorf World Championships, the national team chose Sun to imitate Hirano’s style in training for the benefit of her teammates.
At the Japan Open last week, Sun won the singles title after Chen Meng eliminated Hirano in the semifinal.
Sun also tasted victory over Hirano at the Asian Junior Championships last September, with the pair seen as the future of the women’s game.
“Sun is very young, but we can see that she has great potential. She is a player with her own thoughts,” said Grand Slam champion Ding.
“Now, other players have got to study her. She will face more difficulties than before, which means she should work harder than before.”