The table tennis courts in Las Vegas delivered a tough day for Portuguese hopes on Wednesday. Olympian Jieni Shao, a familiar face in the sport, faced a formidable opponent in the US Smash tournament. She ran into Zhu Yuling of Macau, a player who once held the world’s top ranking.
Shao, currently ranked 62nd globally, battled the 14th-ranked Yuling. Their second-round match was quick but intense, lasting just 22 minutes. Yuling secured the win 3-1, with game scores of 11-7, 11-3, 7-11, and 11-4. Shao managed to snatch one game, showing her fighting spirit against a top-tier athlete.
Earlier the same day, another Portuguese talent, Fu Yu, also found herself in a challenging matchup. Ranked 75th in the world, Fu Yu took on China’s Wang Yidi. Wang Yidi is currently the fourth-ranked player in the world, a true titan of the game.
Fu Yu gave a strong effort but ultimately fell to Wang Yidi 3-1. The game scores were 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, and 11-6. Both Shao and Yu faced incredibly high-level competition, bringing their runs in the tournament to an end in the second round. Sometimes, even the best players draw a tough hand.