[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Two-time Olympian and Youth Olympic Games Bronze Medalist Lily Zhang led the US to a great performance in Day 3 of the Worlds.
In mixed doubles, she was up 3-2 and lost 4-3 to the team of defending World Men’s Singles Finalist Fang Bo of China and Rio silver medalist Petrissa Solja of Germany. Since the Worlds are in Germany, Fang Bo and Solja had the home crowd’s support and this would have been a monumental upset. Lily did advance to the final 16 in women’s doubles beating the #5 seeded Korean pair. She also played a great match against the higher-seeded Sabine Winter of Germany in women’s singles beating her 4-3 after being down 2-0 and 3-2 so now is in the final 32. I saw the second half of this match on WatchESPN and Winter had some great forehands in the 5th game giving her the 3-2 lead. I liked the change of tactics Lily displayed after that when she returned everything short and pounded Winter’s weaker backhand to win the final 2 games.
Winter would often play mid-distance where as Lily would stay closer to the table. Her women’s doubles and women’s singles matches continue tomorrow. Lily also had a nice run at the Rio Olympics where she reached the final 16 in women’s singles.
USA’s Kanak Jha, the youngest table-tennis Olympian at Rio, also had a big upset in men’s singles when he beat London and Rio Olympics men’s singles quarterfinalist Adrian Crisan of Romania 4-3, 11-9 in the 7th. He is training full-time in Sweden now.
Both Lily and Kanak are originally from the same club as me.
One of Lily’s points was the Point of the Day in Day 3 of the Worlds.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/2″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_video link=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-0jWg97HJM”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/2″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
