PHNOM PENH – Up against Thai defending champion Orawan Paranang, Singapore table tennis player Zhou Jingyi saved four matchpoints to bring the decider to 10-10, but she could not rescue a fifth in her women’s singles quarter-final at the SEA Games on Monday.
She shed tears of disappointment after that, but after receiving a standing ovation from the Singapore contingent at the Morodok Techo National Stadium Table Tennis Hall, the 18-year-old managed a smile at the media mixed zone as her team manager adjusted her hair.
She had every reason to be happy with her effort after taking her opponent to the distance, winning some scintillating rallies with shots down the line and into the corners, before losing 4-3 (5-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 12-10).
She said: “After saving four matchpoints, I had felt it was a waste to lose because I wasn’t aggressive enough at deuce and gave her the opportunity to win the point.
“But overall, this is one of the best matches I have played. I managed to execute my game plan and play to my strengths. I was nervous when I led 3-2 although I tried not to think about the scores. We were both tense towards the end, and maybe her experience helped.”
While Zhou’s SEA Games campaign has ended, Zeng Jian marched through to the semi-finals after beating Filipino Kheith Rhynne Cruz 4-1 (11-7, 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 12-10) in the other last-eight tie.
On Tuesday, the 26-year-old will have a chance for revenge in the semi-final against Orawan, who also beat Zeng 4-3 in the last four in Hanoi in 2022.
She said: “There were some regrets as I could have played better in the women’s team and mixed doubles events. But I re-trained my focus for the singles and managed to overcome a resolute opponent.
“I don’t have a good record against Orawan but I will give my best to beat her.”
The other semi-final will be contested between Thailand’s 2015 women’s singles champion Suthasini Sawettabut and Vietnam’s Nguyen Khoa Dieu Khanh.
It was also a mixed bag for Singapore in the men’s singles quarter-finals as Clarence Chew saved five matchpoints but lost 4-2 (13-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8) to Malaysia’s Leong Chee Feng.
Chew, a men’s singles bronze medalist in 2022, has been playing with a heavily-taped master left arm. He said: “It’s an old injury. I tried to stick to the game plan but made a lot of mistakes against an opponent who managed to switch things up and be more aggressive. He was the better player today.”
Teammate Izaac Quek kept Singapore’s hopes of reclaiming the men’s singles gold alive when he came from behind again to beat Malaysia’s Wong Qi Shen for the third time at these Games to set up a semi-final against Leong.
The 16-year-old SEA Games debutant said: “Earlier in the match, I was a bit tense and my mind was not clear. Maybe I was caught up by the lively atmosphere and the cheering, but I played at his pace instead of my own game.
“The turning point came when I was down 2-1, trailed 7-6 in the fourth game and my coach Zhang Zhen called a time out to calm me down. I started to win some good points and long rallies to win the match.”
The other men’s singles semi-final will feature Vietnam’s defending champion Nguyen Duc Tuan against his countryman Nguyen Anh Tu.
