A major upset at the WTT! The Chinese national team suffers a heavy blow as Lin Shidong loses 3-4 to Harimoto Tomokazu, and Wang Chuqin withdraws due to injury.

On December 14th Beijing time, the WTT Hong Kong Finals are heating up, with both men’s singles semifinals completed. Lin Shidong battled through seven sets but was defeated 3-4 by Harimoto Tomokazu. Wang Chuqin withdrew due to injury, giving Moregard a walkover into the final. Consequently, the Chinese team misses out on the men’s singles title once again, facing a serious setback after losing the mixed doubles and men’s singles championships. The men’s singles winner will come from Harimoto Tomokazu and Moregard!

Lin Shidong faced Harimoto Tomokazu in what was a key China-Japan showdown. Although Lin Shidong holds a higher world ranking than Harimoto, his head-to-head record is unfavorable, especially due to weaker mental resilience. Harimoto has somewhat dominated Lin psychologically. Today, we hoped Lin could overcome his mental barriers and defeat Harimoto Tomokazu!

After the match began, the two clashed fiercely. Lin Shidong accelerated his scoring late to reach match point at 10-7, but he couldn’t withstand Harimoto’s comeback, losing five consecutive points and suffering a 12-10 reversal. This comeback affected Lin’s mindset, and in the second game he collapsed, losing 11-4. In the third game, the intense battle resumed with back-and-forth exchanges; Lin eventually overtook Harimoto and won the crucial points 12-10 to even the score. In the fourth game, Harimoto started strong with a big lead and reached game point at 10-8, but Lin adjusted his mentality, launched a counterattack, and secured four consecutive points to win 12-10, leveling the match at 2-2. In the fifth game, Harimoto used effective inside-outside play to take match point at 11-6. Facing elimination in the sixth game, Lin fought fiercely, scoring repeatedly to win 11-7 and force a deciding seventh game. In the final game, both players contested every point. Lin led 8-7 late, but at a critical moment he faltered, hesitating to attack and lost four points in a row, falling 8-11 to Harimoto and losing to him once again!

It seems Harimoto Tomokazu has figured out how to play Lin Shidong well and is very confident, becoming Lin’s nemesis. Lin lacks assertiveness in his play; his skills are not inferior to Harimoto’s, but he tends to hesitate at crucial moments!

Wang Chuqin faced Moregard. After Lin Shidong’s loss, the responsibility to win the championship fell on Wang Chuqin. His opponent was the Swedish star Moregard. Head-to-head, Wang clearly dominates Moregard and winning seemed easy. However, unexpected news came before the match: Wang Chuqin withdrew due to injury, allowing Moregard to advance to the final by walkover!

Written by / Sports Novel