China table tennis star Fan Zhendong loses for third time in past 4 matches with German club
Latest defeat comes while playing for Saarbrücken in doubles, the Olympic champion’s first such match in almost two years
Chinese table tennis Olympic champion Fan Zhendong lost for the third time in his past four matches on Sunday as his German club side squandered a two-match lead to lose 3-2 at Borussia Düsseldorf on Sunday.
Playing in the decisive doubles match for 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, Fan and teammate Cedric Meissner lost 3-1 to Düsseldorf’s Qiu Dang and Anton Kallberg in the final Bundesliga match before a month-long break.
Fan had also lost both singles ties in a Champions League match for Saarbrücken last week.
It was Fan’s first doubles match in almost two years, and some fans were quick to question the formation and tactics of Saarbrücken team trainer Wang Zhi, suggesting Fan should have played in a second singles match instead of the doubles.
Fan last played doubles with Wang Chuqin in Singapore in March 2024 and was pairing with Meissner for the first time.
Others said his playing doubles was “all right” as preparation for the rest of the season.
