The table tennis world got a strong reminder of Portugal’s talent this week. Fu Yu, a sharp player from Portugal, punched her ticket to the second round of the US Smash tournament. She secured a dominant 3-0 victory on Monday in Las Vegas.
Fu Yu, ranked 75th in the world, faced Australia’s Minhyung Jee. Jee sits much higher at 41st globally. But Fu Yu showed no respect for the rankings. She controlled the match, winning sets 13-11, 11-9, and 11-5. This win is even sweeter as Fu Yu had to fight through the qualifying rounds to even reach the main draw.
The road ahead gets tougher for Fu Yu. Her next opponent will be a serious challenge. She’ll play either Japan’s Miyu Nagasaki, ranked 20th in the world. Or she could face China’s Wang Yidi, who is fourth globally. Both are top-tier players.
Fu Yu isn’t the only Portuguese player making noise at the US Smash. João Geraldo is set for his opening match in the men’s singles. He’s up against China’s Xiang Peng. On the women’s side, Jieni Shao will also hit the tables for her first-round contest. She’s slated to play American hopeful Sally Moyland. Both Geraldo and Shao are expected to play their matches later today.