TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwanese table tennis player Lin Yun-ju (林昀儒) showcased resilience by defeating French rising star Flavien Coton 3-2 in the first round of the WTT Montpellier Championship on Wednesday (Oct. 29). Lin, 24, ranked No. 11 globally and seeded 8th in the event, overcame a challenging match to advance to the next round.
Lin initially led with an 11-4 win in the first game but faced a setback in the third, losing 11-8 and 11-9 after holding a four-point lead. He regained momentum in the crucial fourth game, leveling the match by winning 11-9 after trailing 1-4. In the decisive fifth game, Lin scored eight consecutive points to secure an 11-4 victory, advancing his journey in the WTT Montpellier Championship. He will now face South Korean star Jang Woo-jin (張禹珍) for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Last week, Lin also defeated Coton in straight sets at the London Star Challenge. Meanwhile, Taiwan's female player, Cheng I-ching (鄭怡靜), ranked 17th globally, fell short in her first-round match against Austrian Sofia Polcanova, losing 9-11 in three consecutive games. The WTT Montpellier Championship, held in France, boasts a total prize pool of $500,000, focusing solely on singles events