Liu Ziling (Photo WTT)
Liu Ziling, the lowest-ranked player in the women’s singles event at China Smash table tennis championships, pulled off a huge win in the first round of qualifying, beating Jie Li in straight games 11-7, 15-13, 14-12.
This match saw Ziling, who is 15 years old and ranked World No.317, face off against Li, a 42-year-old veteran of Dutch table tennis currently ranked World No.93.
Despite a clear gulf in terms of World Rankings and age, Ziling was determined to kick off China’s National Day celebrations with a win, and after going 0-5 down in the first game, hit a stunning 10 points in a row to annihilate her opponent.
“When I was in the call area before player walk-in, I took a peek outside and saw a full house of fans. It’s the National Day holiday, and I’m playing on my home ground, so I feel a special sense of responsibility. Although I’m still very young, I knew I wasn’t here just to go through the motions. I knew I had to give my best to win. Since I’m younger than my opponent, I probably had the upper hand physically. The win today is a great confidence boost and gives me more morale going into the next match.” – Liu Ziling
China Youth Smash 2025 finalist Ziling continued to thrive in a packed Smash Arena, first going up 5- 0 in the second, then saving two game points before eventually doubling her lead on her fourth game point.
With defeat just one game away, Li looked set to get back into it with a healthy 6-9 lead, but Ziling again saved two game points to secure the win.
Ziling has made waves on the WTT Youth Series this year, winning the U19 and U15 titles at WTT Youth Star Contender Gangneung 2026, reaching four quarterfinals, including Europe Youth Smash – Sweden 2025, and two finals in her last six events.
In the first session of the day, both the men’s and women’s singles qualifying draws were blown wide open when the No.1 seeds in both disciplines both suffered defeats.
Eduard Ionescu was the first to fall, as the Romanian was able to capitalise on his recovery from a two-game deficit in his match against Wildcard Benyamin Faraji winning 11-4, 11-6, 10-12, 9-11, 11-8.
Faraji, ranked World No.214, is the third-lowest-ranked player in the men’s singles event, and stormed to a 2-0 lead by hitting seven winners in a row to come from behind at the end of game one, and then took eight from a possible nine points to do it again in the second.
There were signs of life from Ionescu after that, as he saved three match points and then came back from 8-6 down to level the match, but was ultimately unable to stop the Iranian, who converted his fourth of six Match Points.
In the women’s singles, World No.60 Constantina Psihogios went down 6-11, 7-11, 11-8, 13-11, 5-11 to France’s Claire Picard, who is competing at her first WTT Grand Smash.
There were more upsets too, with Hong Kong, China’s World No.173 Lam Yee Lok beating No.8 seed Jieni Shao 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6, and World No.180 and second-lowest-ranked female Adina Diaconu taking down No.7 seed Kim Seongjin 11-7, 11-6, 11-8.
