Recaps

Wang Chao won his way to the Swedish Open men’s singles final as Fan Xiaodong upset Hook and Tang Yuanyuan claimed the women’s title. In the final, Fan and Wang traded short-game mastery and powerful attacks, with Fan taking the opening point of the third game.

• Wang Chao routed Mizutori Hato in the opening game before Mizutori faked a back injury to avoid being bagelled, and later Tang Yuanyuan came back from three games down to defeat Ichikawa Mima.
• Michel swept Gao Mingyuan, while the quarterfinal draw set Hook against Lin Zijun, Fan Xiaodong against Zhang Benkuang, Li Zhengzhi against Wolf, and Michel against Wang Chao.
• Wang Chao advised Lin Zijun to defend against Hook’s unstable all-out attacks, and Lin lost 4–2 after making the match more competitive with the approach.
• Wang Chao defeated Michel 4–0 through anticipation and defense, then Fan Xiaodong revealed that Qin Huachang had prepared a secret strategy for him against Wang.
• Fan Xiaodong came back from two games down to beat Hook 4–2, exposing Hook’s weakened unpredictability and prompting Hook to seek Wang Chao’s advice.
• Wang Chao beat Wolf 4–0, while Tang Yuanyuan recovered from three games down to defeat Wang Yu and win the women’s singles title.
• Wang Chao opened the men’s final with an 8:0 lead, but Fan Xiaodong displayed his microscopic touch and challenged him in a prolonged short-ball exchange before losing the first game 11:2.
• Fan Xiaodong shifted to deep returns and explosive loops, but Wang Chao took the second game 11–7, and Fan then used controlled body shots and won the first point of the third game with a predicted counterattack.

Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan formed the Tang Dynasty Combination, won the Malaysia Open mixed doubles title, and proved their strength against the world’s leading pairs. Wang Chao secured a chance to pursue Olympic singles qualification and arrived at the German Open to face newly assembled rivals.

• Wang Chao defeated Fan Xiaodong 4:0 at the Swedish Open, then joined the national team’s mixed doubles trials as coaches sought a partner for him.
• Tang Yuanyuan secured the mixed doubles spot beside Wang Chao, and Qin Huachang’s illness led him to retire from coaching while arranging for Sun Tianlong to guide Fan Xiaodong.
• After struggling with their coordination, Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan developed an attacking partnership and defeated Lu Feiyang and Shen Sha, though they still fell short against Xiao Fei and Liu Wen.
• At the Qatar Open, the Scarlet Gossip Combination won mixed doubles, and Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan began preparing to prove themselves internationally.
• Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan swept Zhu Shixian and Xu Xiaoyuan at the Malaysia Open, then beat Mizutori Hato and Ichikawa Mima 4:0 in the semifinals.
• The Tang Dynasty Combination defeated Lin Zijun and Zhen Jing in the final to win the Malaysia Open mixed doubles title, while Xiao Fei claimed men’s singles.
• Sun Tianlong helped Wang Chao secure a German Open singles opportunity, and Wang Chao convinced Cai Guodong to give him a chance to qualify for the World Cup if he could win two events.
• Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan intensified their training before the German Open, where they saw Sakura Country’s new pairs and learned that Daehan Minguk had entered two mixed doubles teams.

Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan swept through their mixed doubles matches as Wang Chao also defeated Bai Feng and Lin Li in singles. The arc ended with Lin Zijun unexpectedly taking the opening point against Hook, while Wang Chao prepared for his singles semifinal against Fan Xiaodong.

• Wang Chao entered the German Open singles draw in thirteenth place and prepared to face Bai Feng, while the Tang Dynasty Combination advanced in mixed doubles.
• Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan defeated Ichikawa Mima and Niuwa Xiaoxi 4:0, overcoming Niuwa’s unusual side cuts.
• Bai Feng used Wang Lu’s preparation and instinctive play to challenge Wang Chao, but Wang Chao read his patterns and swept him 4:0.
• Wang Chao exploited Lin Li’s weakness at speed by steering their match into short-table exchanges, then swept him 4:0.
• Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan defeated Xian Youwen and Che Songxin 4:0 in the mixed doubles semifinal after neutralizing their serves and attacking patterns.
• Qin Huachang’s livestream analysis spread worldwide, prompting foreign coaches and fans to follow his detailed match commentary.
• Lin Zijun opened his semifinal against Hook with a Sneak Long Serve and countered Hook’s attacks to take the first point, surprising Qin Huachang.

Lin Zijun broke from conventional play, but Wang Chao swept him in the German Open final before China’s Olympic selection test sent Wang to the World Cup and Brazil Open. Tang Yuanyuan’s jealousy complicated Wang’s partnerships, and in Brazil Xiao Fei stunned Wang with an early 6:0 lead in their semifinal.

• Lin Zijun embraced his “Heart of Freedom,” defeated Hook 4:0, and earned a place in the German Open final against Wang Chao.
• Wang Chao swept Fan Xiaodong and then defeated Lin Zijun 4:0 in the final, while also winning the mixed-doubles title with Tang Yuanyuan.
• Cai Guodong announced that Wang Chao would join China’s World Cup team and pair with Lilith, while Tang Yuanyuan was assigned to Kazik.
• Wang Chao trained and spent time with Lilith in Houston, while Tang Yuanyuan resented their growing closeness and admitted she wanted to stay partnered with him.
• China won the World Cup, and the coaches chose the Brazil Open as a test for Olympic selection, with He Jingping insisting that the strongest player should earn the men’s singles place.
• At the Brazil Open, Wang Chao and Lilith lost in mixed doubles, but Wang swept Zhang Benkuang in singles as Lin Li advanced and challenged him.
• Xiao Fei repeatedly attacked first with his flicks and Great Python Turn, taking the first four points against Wang Chao in their semifinal.
• Wang Chao returned from a timeout and tried to break Xiao Fei’s pattern, but Xiao Fei extended his lead to 6:0, leaving Wang smiling as Xiao wondered whether he had really won.