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Paul McNamara

Wang Chuqin dug himself out of an enormous hole against Sora Matsushima to beat the Japanese teenager 4-3 at a euphoric Hong Kong Coliseum and preserve his chances of claiming a fourth straight WTT Finals title.
The defending women’s champion, Wang Manyu, was also given a tough time before finally resisting another youngster from Japan, Miwa Harimoto, to win 4-2 in one hour and four minutes.
World men’s No 1 Wang, whose entrance into the arena was greeted with excited squeals and cheers, dropped the opening two games 11-6, 11-9. He claimed the next 11-4, but was on the brink after losing an extraordinary fourth.
Wang recovered from 10-5 behind to 10-10, then saved two more game points, before 18-year-old Matsushima, the world No 8, won it 14-12 at the eighth time of asking.
Champion in each of the past three years, Wang’s grip on the trophy was slipping at 9-6 down in the fifth, but he survived to pinch it 12-10.

“The first few games were neck and neck, but I slowly picked up my pace from game five,” Wang said. “My opponent played well and it was nerve-racking.”
A man who has said he considered quitting in the dark months after his shock Olympics second-round exit last year, Wang won game six 11-4 to level at 3-3. In the decider, he reeled off six successive points to move 9-5 ahead, before winning it 11-9 and booking a quarter-final date with Alexis Lebrun of France.
“I felt before the match that I had reached my limit [for the season], but I am representing China, and I had to show my attitude and find a way to win,” Wang said.
Like Wang Chuqin, Wang Manyu arrived in Hong Kong fresh from winning the Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu. She had comfortably beaten Harimoto in China’s final victory over Japan on Sunday, but she rated the 17-year-old’s performance in the rematch as better than her own.

The world No 2 led 2-0 and 3-1, before completing a gutsy six-game success. She will play Joo Cheon-hui in the last eight, after the world No 18 beat fellow Korean and world No 12 Shin Yu-bin 4-2.
“Harimoto is a quality player, the match was close … I needed time to adjust my rhythm and to play with patience,” Wang said. “I have not had much time to rest and recover. I hope I can recover my form quickly and play better and better.”
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong mixed doubles pair of Wong Chun-ting and Doo Hoi-kem were rushing off to watch footage of Thursday’s opponents, Manusha Shah and Diya Chitale, after they were blown away by world No 1 duo Lin Shindong and Kuai Man.
Ranked No 5 in the world, Wong and Doo lost a tight opening game 11-9, before Lin and Kuai raced away with the next two 11-4, 11-4 to wrap up a merciless 19-minute victory.
Indians Shah and Chitale were earlier brushed aside by the marquee team of Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha.

“We’re facing a new pairing next, so we’ll be studying videos to assess them and also focusing on reducing our unforced errors,” Wong said.
“We tried to put pressure on [Lin and Kuai], and force some points, but they are strong opponents.”
Wong, who awarded Wednesday’s performance a six-out-of-10 rating, said it had been “very special” to compete in front of a home crowd.
“The atmosphere and lighting are really good, so it’s very exciting to play here,” he said.


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WTT Finals Hong Kong: Wang Chuqin survives huge scare to progress at Coliseum

Wang Chuqin fires a return during his epic victory over Sora Matsushima. Photo: Xinhua

Matsushima giving Wang a run for his money during a close contest. Photo: Xinhua

Wang Manyu stays focused during her victory over Japan’s Miwa Harimoto. Photo: Xinhua

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Nour El Sherbini and Mostafa Asal crowned champions of Hong Kong Squash Open. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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Hong Kong

Men’s world No 1 beats Japanese teen Matsushima to maintain hopes of fourth straight title, while women’s world No 2 Wang Manyu also wins


Men’s world No 1 beats Japanese teen Matsushima to maintain hopes of fourth straight title, while women’s world No 2 Wang Manyu also wins.


WTT Finals Hong Kong: Wang Chuqin survives huge scare to progress at Coliseum

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Men’s world No 1 beats Japanese teen Matsushima to maintain hopes of fourth straight title, while women’s world No 2 Wang Manyu also wins

Men’s world No 1 beats Japanese teen Matsushima to maintain hopes of fourth straight title, while women’s world No 2 Wang Manyu also wins