TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's male singles players suffered complete elimination from the World Table Tennis Grand Smash in Beijing Tuesday (Sept. 30), with none advancing past the round of 32. Lin Yun-ju (林昀儒) lost narrowly to Japan's Uda Yukiya (宇田幸矢) 2-3, ending his eight-match winning streak against the world No. 33. The defeats represent a significant setback for Taiwan's table tennis delegation at the prestigious international tournament.
Lin rallied in the third and fourth sets but ultimately fell 8-11 in the decisive fifth set against the Japanese opponent. Feng Yi-hsin (馮翊新), who surprised many by defeating world No. 8 Benedikt Duda of Germany Monday (Sept. 29), faced France's 17-year-old rising star Flavien Coton. The contrasting fortunes highlighted Taiwan's mixed performance in the early tournament rounds at the Beijing venue.
Coton defeated Feng 3-2 despite Feng's initial 12-10 victory in the first set, with the match featuring dramatic momentum shifts. Feng dropped the second set, reclaimed the third, but succumbed 7-11 and 6-11 in the final two decisive sets. The defeat marked Feng's first loss to Coton after winning their two previous encounters in 2022, while Kao Cheng-rui (高承睿) also exited in the first round, completing Taiwan's male singles elimination. ◼