Huang Yu-hsuan Upsets Japanese Player to Reach Second Round at WTT US Grand Smash

(CNA Taipei, June 30) In the World Table Tennis (WTT) US Grand Smash, Taiwanese player Huang Yu-hsuan, who advanced from the qualifiers, defeated Japanese player Miyu Nagasaki 3-1 in the first round today. She will next challenge China's Chen Xingtong for a spot in the top 16.

Twenty-three-year-old Huang Yu-hsuan, ranked 67th in the world, achieved a career milestone by reaching the main draw of a WTT Grand Smash event for the first time after successfully navigating the qualifiers for the US Grand Smash. In the women's singles first round, she faced world number 18 and Japanese ace Miyu Nagasaki. Their previous encounter was in 2016, where Huang Yu-hsuan lost 0-3.

Facing each other again after 10 years, Huang Yu-hsuan was still finding her rhythm at the start of the first game. In particular, she fell into a streak of losing five consecutive points in the middle of the game, leading to her losing the set 6-11. However, Huang Yu-hsuan adjusted her pace in the second game and withstood the pressure of a close match, successfully leveling the score at 11-9.

In the crucial third game, Huang Yu-hsuan was once trailing 4-9. Fortunately, with her backhand proving effective, she frequently forced her opponent into return errors. Not only did she successfully equalize the score, but she also saved two game points, taking a commanding 13-11 lead. In the fourth game, Huang Yu-hsuan also saved two game points and, carrying this momentum, secured another victory with a 13-11 score. She will next challenge China's Chen Xingtong, ranked fifth in the world.

In other news, "Taiwan's top player" Cheng I-ching and 18-year-old rising star Yeh Yi-tian teamed up in the women's doubles. In their first-round match against the "German pair" Wan Yuan and Winter (Sabine Winter), they lost the first game 6-11 but staged a comeback with consecutive wins of 12-10, 11-9, and 15-13 to advance to the women's doubles top 16. (Editor: Lin Shu-hui) 1150630

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