Cheng I-Ching vs Sofia Polcanova | WS R32 | #WTTMontpellier 2025

Started off best of five, love all. Well, they both got that bottle challenge ready, the deep serve to the opponent's backhand. Nice change of timing here, a little bit shorter on the table, Sofia. Ooh, slow spin on the first, wide angle on the second. Kalyan, indeed, creates the space. This is one of the faster points we've seen. Advantage is the same, but racket speed. Demonstrated on the other side. Don't get me wrong. Slow spin, does it, the awkward ball. She doesn't crush it. It's back to what worked in the beginning. And with the opponent behind the table, no need to overpower it, but simply keep it uncomfortable. Incredible athlete. The Women's World Cup has taken medal after medal. Bronze medal, but not level on the scoreboard right now. Focused, fierce, and determined down the line. It's a short side. Extended rally favors Yijing this time around. Doesn't that seem crazy? Back in Jung Yijing's home. The step around and the comeback. Standing on receive at the start. Aggressive, proactive, Yijing in front. Push, does it, heavy spin, and the timeout has been cast in. It is a two to zero lead. Sofia Polkanova puts herself in a wonderful position here, looking to create history. Good inside-out forehand here to start off the game. Baseline. And then you're in business. Three, two. Interesting, interesting. What an exchange. When Howard got two weeks in Europe. Not an easy way to win a point. It's a question of timing, and right now is the time. Gotta be close, too. She's so good. Extra pressure, a big fight. In the point before, you can see the way that Sofia leans, the way that she moves back in, way out in front here, trying to recapture some space, but whenever it's played on her elbow, let's see. And as fired up as can be. Percentages favor her. She does it! First time in her Sofia Polkanova career. Zheng Yijing, 2012. They started this feud on the table, and it is an everlasting, ever-growing feud, but between two women in their 30s, the 33-year-old Zheng Yijing has been beaten every single game, was a battle that was just incredible to watch. And the 31-year-old Sofia Polkanova.