TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Lin Yun-Ju (林昀儒), Taiwan's (台灣) sole contender in the World Table Tennis (WTT) Finals in Hong Kong, defeated Germany's Benedikt Duda 4-2 Wednesday (Dec. 10). Lin, ranked 13th globally, secured his quarterfinals place by maintaining an unbeaten record against Duda, ranked 12th. The victory marks Taiwan's continued presence in the prestigious international table tennis tournament.
Lin clinched the first game 12-10 after a tense deuce at 10-10 in the opening match. Duda took the next two games 11-6 and 11-5, putting Lin at a disadvantage. Lin regained momentum in the fourth game, leveling the match 11-8, then seized the fifth game 11-5 to gain the upper hand.
Lin staged a comeback in the sixth game, overcoming a 0-5 deficit to win 13-11 and neutralizing three game points from the German opponent. The dramatic turnaround secured the match victory for Taiwan's top player in the international competition. Lin's resilience under pressure demonstrated his competitive strength against higher-ranked opponents in the prestigious tournament.
Lin said after the match that he played conservatively in the second and third games after narrowly winning the first, allowing his opponent's strategy to take the lead. Lin added that adjusting his mindset was crucial to his victory. Lin hopes to maintain a fighting spirit to win the next match against either Truls Moregard from Sweden or Anders Lind from Denmark. ◼