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Stephy Zhang

China table tennis stars Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha slipped to a second mixed doubles defeat this month, sparking concern among fans ahead of the Asian Games.
The pair lost 3-2 to Yuan Licen and Wang Yidi in the semi-finals of the National Table Tennis Championships in Changsha, just weeks after finishing as runners-up to South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin at the WTT US Grand Smash.
Neither Yuan nor Wang Yidi will be making the trip to Japan in September, and their victory had fans taking to social media to urge Wang Chuqin and Sun, both world No 1s in their respective singles categories, to fix their partnership.
Affectionately known as “Sha-Tou”, the pair have teamed up less frequently in the new Olympic cycle. Since winning gold at the Paris Olympics, they had played only six international tournaments before this event, claiming two mixed doubles titles in three individual competitions.
“The sturdiest ship has capsized,” one netizen wrote. “I think this is the most brutal yet charming part of competitive sports. The national championships have never ranked players by their fame.”

Another fan called on officials to “stop letting these two play mixed doubles”, and suggested Sun should partner Yuan instead.
“The young man looks quite good, maybe he can become a hit at the Asian Games,” the fan added.
While the Asian Games squad has already been named, other fans suggested the pair should only go if they could start performing well.
However, others noted that the domestic tournament served primarily as preparation for the Games, meaning winning the title was not the main objective.
“Stop saying they have to win every domestic match. There are no permanent champions in competitive sports; it’s fine as long as they spot the problems now and fix them,” one fan said.
Another wrote: “It would be a lie to say it’s not a pity, but it serves as a wake-up call for them. If they want to play in the Asian Games and go to Los Angeles, they still need to practise more, at least to get familiar with each other’s upgraded playstyle.”
With the Games in Aichi-Nagoya fast approaching, the national championships marked the final opportunity for Sun and Wang Chuqin to prepare through competition. The coming Sweden Grand Smash is the only remaining international event featuring mixed doubles, but Wang Chuqin is not taking part.
Yuan and Wang Yidi, meanwhile, who won bronze at last year’s National Games for Liaoning, will face another Asian Games duo, Lin Shidong and Kuai Man, in Sunday night’s final.


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World No 1s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha crash out of National Table Tennis Championships in semi-finals, weeks after losing in US


World No 1s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha crash out of National Table Tennis Championships in semi-finals, weeks after losing in US.


Second shock defeat for China’s Sun, Wang sparks Asian Games fears among fans

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}World No 1s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha crash out of National Table Tennis Championships in semi-finals, weeks after losing in US

World No 1s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha crash out of National Table Tennis Championships in semi-finals, weeks after losing in US