Exhausted! Wang Manyu defeated Hashimoto Honoka 4-2, raising her arms in victory as Chinese women’s singles secured all four semifinal spots.

On August 23rd Beijing time, during the WTT Sweden Grand Slam women’s singles quarterfinals, China’s top player Wang Manyu clashed with Japan’s defensive expert Hashimoto Honoka. The intense battle lasted an hour and a half, with Wang resisting tremendous pressure to defeat her opponent 4-2, securing a semifinal berth and contributing to China’s sweep of the women’s singles semifinal and final positions. The match was extremely tough, and Wang Manyu raised her arms in triumph, releasing the tension she had been holding inside!

Wang Manyu, ranked second in the world and one of China’s five key players, has a consistently strong international record. However, her form in this tournament was not ideal, facing significant challenges on her way forward. In the round of 16, she fought back from behind to win 3-2 against Nagasaki Miyu. In the quarterfinals, she faced Japan’s Hashimoto Honoka, ranked 11th globally, known for her unique defensive style that combines softness with firmness and is highly graceful to watch. This style can be very difficult to counter, as China has lost to Hashimoto multiple times; Qian Tianyi and Wang Yidi were both defeated by her in this event. Clearly, she is a tough opponent, and Wang Manyu had to prepare carefully in advance!

From the start, both players were fully engaged, refusing to yield as they exchanged offensive and defensive plays. After reaching 10-10 in the first game, Wang Manyu seized the crucial points to win 12-10. In the second game, Hashimoto adapted to Wang’s style, playing more aggressively to pull ahead and take it 11-7. Wang struck hard early in the third game to open a gap, leaving Hashimoto stunned and unable to catch up, winning 11-7 to regain the lead. The fourth game saw intense fighting until 6-6, when Hashimoto launched her defensive offense to pull ahead 11-8 and even the match. In the fifth game, Wang steadied herself, varied her play with left-right moves, and steadily built a lead to win 11-7. In the sixth, Wang quickly took the initiative, with Hashimoto closing the gap. At the critical moment, Hashimoto’s return went out, and Wang edged out 11-9 to clinch the match 4-2 and eliminate Hashimoto!

It must be said the match was incredibly intense, lasting an hour and a half. After her victory, Wang Manyu raised her arms in celebration to release the pressure and helped China secure all four women’s singles semifinal spots. The upcoming women’s semifinals will be all-China affairs: Chen Yi will challenge world number one Sun Yingsha, while Shi Xunyao faces world number two Wang Manyu. The matches promise great suspense—let’s look forward to it!

Written by / Sports Fiction