WTT Finals Hong Kong: Wang Chuqin survives huge scare to progress at Coliseum
Men’s world No 1 beats Japanese teen Matsushima to maintain hopes of fourth straight title, while women’s world No 2 Wang Manyu also wins
Wang Chuqin dug himself out of an enormous hole against Sora Matsushima to beat the Japanese teenager 4-3 at a euphoric Hong Kong Coliseum and preserve his chances of claiming a fourth straight WTT Finals title.
The defending women’s champion, Wang Manyu, was also given a tough time before finally resisting another youngster from Japan, Miwa Harimoto, to win 4-2 in one hour and four minutes.
World men’s No 1 Wang, whose entrance into the arena was greeted with excited squeals and cheers, dropped the opening two games 11-6, 11-9. He claimed the next 11-4, but was on the brink after losing an extraordinary fourth.
Wang recovered from 10-5 behind to 10-10, then saved two more game points, before 18-year-old Matsushima, the world No 8, won it 14-12 at the eighth time of asking.
Champion in each of the past three years, Wang’s grip on the trophy was slipping at 9-6 down in the fifth, but he survived to pinch it 12-10.
“The first few games were neck and neck, but I slowly picked up my pace from game five,” Wang said. “My opponent played well and it was nerve-racking.”