Lin Shidong vs Jang Woojin _ Semifinal - ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025

To beat Shidong but has he got the power, the consistency. But you see him here, oh my god. Returns the Zhang forehand, he's lobbing now. Finds the table, Zhang doing well to get over these but Shidong surviving. Nice backhands here, pivots Zhang Wujin. How is he staying in these points for so long? Nice backhand flipper, there it is. Makes life very easy for the ball kids at time. And Zhang Wujin has won their only encounter. They played two years ago. But Zhang Wujin is still that player. 7-2. Strokes that he's looking to improve. The strokes themselves are top top. Great receive, couldn't put the cherry on top. In the sense, you know, he won't flick so much. He will try and touch with the forehand. When he does flick, Shidong is there to counter. Seems to be playing into the trap of the world number two. What a backhand. Games two and the world team championships here in table tennis three years ago. Few players. China defeated Japan in the final. Nice length there. Paul Lin Shidong off guard. An unprecedented achievement for the Pan American. Here we go. Loops a loop down the line from Wujin. He's turned the tables, trying to play it off the bounce but Lin Shidong again. The proportion through these backhands. Net cord, Lin Shidong gets it back and he wins the point. He's putting Wujin through his paces. Reverse pendulum serve, a lovely backhand. Look how he regained control there with that backhand. Nearly defeated Lin Shidong last year in Almaty. Thriller of a contender final. Couldn't win a game. This year a completely different story. He's looking very, very good, isn't he? Beautiful inside out. Pivot there from Zhang Wujin. I think Zhang Wujin wants to try and play the first drive and then try and drive. Gotta try and drive early, Shidong. He's got to try and keep these points quick. We've seen what happens. Wujin to construct the point. Trying to take his chance with the flick there. Head of the CTT8. Ball has to be visible from the toss to the point of contact. He does with that shot and there he gets it. A slow spin up isn't as powerful as a drive. And these two are both so strong in the counter game. Shovel off the net cord. Oh, backhand from Zhang Wujin out of this world. They've strung together some really... Another long serve from Wujin. Tactically speaking, an excellent switch up. Can't return it, Shidong. Can a TTR it, Lin Shidong? He's going to try here and win a point outright. Feels as though the serve of Zhang Wujin was more than 30 degrees off a vertical. Desperate times, desperate measures perhaps from the world number two. Cheeky chop from the Korea Republic. Happy that he could win that game there. To send it to 7-2.