World Table Tennis China Smash: No 3 Wang Yidi loses in first round to unranked Fan Siqi
The 3rd seed at the China Stash event remains without a title since November 2023 and could find her days as a key national player numbered
Wang Yidi’s disappointing run continued after bowing out at the first hurdle of the World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash in Beijing to unranked Fan Siqi on Sunday.
Tournament third seed Wang lost 3-2 to compatriot Fan and remained without a title since last winning at a WTT Champions event in Frankfurt back in November 2023.
Reaching the main draw after three qualifying-round wins, Fan snatched a two-game lead at Shijingshan Shougang Park, and though 27-year-old world No 4 Wang levelled the score, it was Fan – who has no world ranking – that prevailed, walking away with an 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 7-11, 11-7 win in 43 minutes.
“I approached the match with a mindset of just giving it my all, [and this] helped me play to my best,” said Fan, who was competing in her first singles tournament in 2024. “It’s natural to experience ups and downs during a match, and I was well prepared for that. I approach each game with a mindset of starting from scratch.”
Having been selected only as a member of the national training squad for the Paris Olympics, Fan, 26, did not play on the world tour in the first half of the year.
“Wang performed better and she ranked higher than me,” Fan said. “So my mentality for this match was to take a charge at her and try to play freely.”
