Instead of the later showdown between Wang and Lin Yun-Ju, which was more about pure grit than technique, amid off-court drama (pressure from teammate Liang Jingkun’s unexpected loss, rushed warm-up, etc.), this Wang Chuqin vs. Kao Cheng-Jui match offers a perfect window into elite-level table tennis, where players think on their feet and solve problems mid-game. And that’s what makes this sport so engaging.

Game 1: When Your Go-To Move Isn’t Working (11-9)

Wang Chuqin’s usually deadly forehand loops… Not happening this time with those unpredictable seamless balls that cost him five points alone. Kao Cheng-Jui did his homework and snagged 2 points with well-placed long serves to Wang’s backhand and another 2 with counter-loop by reading Wang’s placements like he had a cheat sheet.

But here’s how Wang scraped through: out of his 11 points, he got 1 from Kao’s receive sailing off the table, grabbed another by reading Kao’s long serve for a direct wide-angle counter (1), sneaked in a counter-looping (1), landed a nice long serve to Kao’s backhand (1), racked up 4 points with varied placements in rallies, managed 2 forehand counter-attacking once he got used to the ball, and sealed the deal with a crafty forehand push that shifted placement (1). Not exactly his typical aggressive style, but sometimes you gotta play the jazz version of your rock songs, whatever gets the job done.

Game 2: Finding His Groove (11-5)

This is where Wang Chuqin started cooking.

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Earlier this month, I was too swamped to keep up with Chuqin’s singles matches at China Smash, only hearing later about his loss to Anders Lind in R32. Fast forward four days, and Wang Chuqin teamed up with Liang Jingkun in Men’s Doubles. Their pairing – ranked #28 in the world (despite Wang holding the #1 individual ranking in men’s doubles for quite a while) – pulled off a stunner in the final against the tournament’s top-seed pair, Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Shidong (#8 in the world).

This win was extra sweet since it marked their first title as a duo, even though they’ve been buddies for over a decade and have occasionally joined forces since 2019. The real highlight wasn’t just the fightback after dropping the first two games, but also watching Wang and Liang’s communication during every break. Thanks to the livestream feed, we got to see Wang taking on a natural leadership role, calmly breaking down tactics and offering strategic insights. Their mutual trust and brilliant gameplay sealed the deal. Who knew we had Coach Wang in the house!

Just caught Wang Chuqin’s run at the 2024 Asian Table Tennis Championships at Astana… what a ride! Despite not bagging a single’s medal, Wang delivered as the “Player X” of the Chinese men’s national team, playing like the lead in a high-stakes drama. And things started… a little shaky.

Right out of the gate, Wang Chuqin got ambushed by a 14-year-old Iranian wonder teenager. No kidding, Benyamin Faraji, who was probably still cramming for a middle school test between matches, took down the world #1 in five sets. The kicker? Rumors were swirling that CNT didn’t even get a chance to practice with the official game ball, a new edition of the 729 seamless ball, before Wang’s match. Since Wang was the first Chinese player on the court, he was also the first to experience them in actual play – not exactly an ideal way to break them in. And the CNT coach Xiao Zhan was even literally seen asking officials for the exact game balls after Wang’s first game. Wait, what? 😅 So you’re telling me the CNT’s days of preparation meant nothing?

Why was this a problem? Well, this particular ball was lighter and had a different bounce, something many players openly commented on later. Being lighter, it was harder for strong forehand attackers like Wang Chuqin to generate power, while favoring players who relied on long-pips or the spin-heavy backhand. Apparently, the higher the level of the player, the greater the impact and the longer the adjustment period. And if I remember correctly, Faraji had, what, 9 or 10 lucky points? (plus even more non-scoring lucky balls.) That was also the impact of the new seamless balls, I think. (For more on the seamless ball, check out my full post: How Seamless Balls Broke the Game’s Rhythm)

I’m not here to throw shade on Faraji, who played like a rising star. But it was weird how the headlines only focused on and mocked Wang’s “shocking” defeat, completely ignoring the equipment issues. It felt like a Hollywood movie that jumps straight to the big twist with zero context. Makes for a juicy headline? Sure. Worth-watching? Not really.

After that “hold my paddle” moment, Wang Chuqin went on a tear:

• Danced past Noshad Alamiyan (3-1) to make up for the point he lost to Faraji just an hour earlier
• Turned Oh Junsung and An Jaehyun into training drills (both 3-1)
• Wrapped up Kao Cheng-Jui’s run quicker than I gave up on my New Year’s resolutions (3-0) (See my other post for the Wang vs. Kao showdown.)

But the real MVP moment? That five-set thriller against Lin Yun-Ju in the men’s team final. Down two sets (the first was a horrific 1-11 😱), Wang Chuqin clawed his way back in a nail-biting third set so sweet it’ll give you cavities. He sealed the game 3-2 against Lin, securing China a 3-1 victory and defending their title. Jayden and I were practically screaming at the TV screen – YouTube livestream at lunchtime – while he was frying shrimp that ended up burning. No one could ignore Wang’s exhaustion and the strain on his chest muscles and left arm. By the end, he had played four games (16 sets!) in one day.

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