Chen Yi Edges Hayata in Seven-Game Thriller, Sets WTT Macau Final vs Ito
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
Chinese rising star Chen Yi outlasted Japan's Hina Hayata 4-3 in a grueling seven-game women's singles semifinal at the WTT Macau Championship on Sunday, reaching her first WTT Champions final. Chen, ranked 12th in the world, took the opening two games before Hayata mounted a fierce comeback that forced a deciding seventh game, which Chen won 11-4 for her fourth straight victory over the Japanese veteran. She will face Japan's Mima Ito for the title at 6:30 PM, while Japan's top men's player Tomokazu Zhang was shockingly eliminated by Sweden's Truls Moregard in a seven-game thriller earlier in the day.
Key Points
- Chen Yi (世界排名第12) defeated Hayata Hina (世界排名第6) with a 4-3 match record in the women's singles semifinal
- Head-to-head: Chen Yi had won all three prior encounters against Hayata Hina and extended that record to four consecutive wins
- Game scores: 11-4, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 16-18, 11-4 — the sixth game featured multiple deuce points
- In the sixth game, Chen Yi saved four match points but also squandered four championship points before losing 16-18
- Tomokazu Zhang (the No. 2 seed) lost 3-4 to Sweden's Truls Moregard, with the deciding game ending 14-16, eliminating all Asian men's singles players
Why It Matters
Chen Yi's victory over a top-tier Japanese opponent marks a significant milestone in her career, signaling China's continued dominance in women's table tennis even as Japan fields its strongest-ever generation of players . The Macau final against Mima Ito, scheduled for 6:30 PM on Sunday evening, represents a high-stakes showdown between two rising stars who are expected to shape the future of the sport in the years ahead .
Chen Yi's victory over a top-tier Japanese opponent marks a significant milestone in her career, signaling China's continued dominance in women's table tennis even as Japan fields its strongest-ever generation of players . The Macau final against Mima Ito, scheduled for 6:30 PM on Sunday evening, represents a high-stakes showdown between two rising stars who are expected to shape the future of the sport in the years ahead .