Fan Zhendong celebrates scoring during the men's singles semifinal match of table tennis between Fan Zhendong of Shanghai and Wang Chuqin of Beijing at China's 15th National Games in Macao, south China, Nov. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi)
MACAO, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- In a much-anticipated clash, Shanghai's Fan Zhendong defeated Beijing's Wang Chuqin 4-2 in the table tennis men's singles semifinals of China's 15th National Games at Macao's Galaxy Arena on Saturday.
The world's top players staged an intense back-and-forth match as Wang took a 2-1 lead after the first three games 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, before Fan rallied to claim the next two games 11-7, 11-5.
In the sixth game, top seed Wang opened with a 4-0 lead, but Fan turned the momentum around with six consecutive points and clinched an 11-7 win en route to securing a final berth.
"It was inevitable to feel pressure in the face of such an outstanding player. I tried to keep a steady mentality throughout the match. I told myself time and time again to focus on winning the next point. A single mistake may change the whole story," Fan said.
"Each tournament is a one-of-a-kind experience at different stages of my career. I will continue to make my utmost efforts to show my competitiveness and perseverance," the 28-year-old added.
Wang, 25, highly praised Fan's performance after the match. "His many returns were beyond my expectations. In the fifth and sixth games, he found his pace, but I didn't come up with great solutions at that time. I still need to learn and improve myself particularly on some key points."
Both players are prominent figures in Chinese table tennis. World No. 1 Wang became the first male player to break the 10,000-point barrier in the current world ranking system after winning the men's singles at the World Table Tennis China Smash in October this year.
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Fan won both the men's singles and team gold medals, becoming the 11th player in history to achieve a career Grand Slam of Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cup.
In the final, Fan will face Hainan's Lin Shidong, who saw off Liaoning's Yuan Licen 4-1. ■
Fan Zhendong competes during the men's singles semifinal match of table tennis between Fan Zhendong of Shanghai and Wang Chuqin of Beijing at China's 15th National Games in Macao, south China, Nov. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)
