WTT Grand Smash: Lin Yun-ju/Cheng I-ching Fall to Chinese Duo in Semifinals

Taiwanese table tennis stars Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching were defeated by China's Lin Shidong and Kuai Man in the mixed doubles semifinals of the WTT Grand Smash tournament. The loss, with a score of 0-3, marks the second consecutive defeat for the Taiwanese pair against the Chinese "anime duo," who are ranked fifth in the world.

The Chinese pair, who previously held the world number one ranking, have been formidable opponents. After splitting up at the end of last year, Lin Shidong and Kuai Man reunited for the tournament in Sweden to prepare for the upcoming Nagoya Asian Games. They had advanced to the semifinals by defeating opponents from Romania and a French-Japanese cross-national team.

In the match, Lin and Cheng struggled to counter Lin Shidong's powerful forehand attacks. Despite brief moments of regaining composure, they ultimately fell in the first two sets with identical 5-11 scores. In the third set, the Taiwanese duo showed resilience, mounting a comeback to lead 7-5. However, the Chinese pair responded strongly, regaining the lead and eventually securing the win with a final score of 11-9.

This semifinal appearance, however, represents the best performance of the season for Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching as a pair. They had previously lost to the same Chinese duo in the quarterfinals of last year's European Grand Smash.