Table tennis: Singapore's Yu Mengyu beaten by China’s world number 1 Chen Meng, will compete for Olympics bronze
Singapore's Yu Mengyu serves to China's Chen Meng during the Tokyo Olympics table tennis women's singles semi-finals at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Jul 29, 2021. Yu would finish the tournament in fourth place. (File photo: AFP/Jung Yeon-je)
TOKYO: Yu Mengyu’s fairytale run in the table tennis women’s singles of the Tokyo Olympics came to an end on Thursday (Jul 29) when she lost 4-0 to China’s world number 1 Chen Meng in the semi-finals.
However, the 31-year-old Singaporean still has a shot at an Olympics medal when she faces Japan’s Mima Ito in a playoff for bronze on Thursday evening.
Chen will face her compatriot Sun Yingsha in the gold medal match after Sun cruised to a 4-0 win over Ito in the other semi-final.
Yu, who is ranked 47th in the world, found the going tough against top seed Chen, but managed to regain her footing late in the first game. But it was to no avail as her opponent took the first game 11-6.
The Chinese player looked dominant again in the second, as she led 5-0, but the Singaporean showed her mettle as she kept herself in it. However, Chen would eventually take it 11-8.
Yu had never beaten the Chinese player, losing to her twice in 2015 and 2019. And despite the Singaporean taking an early lead in the third game, Chen mounted a comeback and won 11-7.
The pattern of the fourth largely followed the first three games as Chen took a 4-1 lead.
The Singaporean looked to have sustained an injury and needed medical attention for what appeared to be her left leg, and yet she soldiered on.
Yu continued to battle, winning three consecutive points to tie it up at 5-5. But Chen eventually claimed the game 11-6.
Yu will be in action in the bronze medal match at 8pm local time (7pm Singapore time).
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