Olympic champion’s impressive results at third leg of China Table Tennis Super League in Hebei come after long absence from the game
Chinese table tennis fans have urged the national team to recall Fan Zhendong and put him back on the international stage after the Olympic champion returned to action with some sizzling form and impressive results this week.
At the opening leg of the new China Table Tennis Super League (CTTSL) season, which concluded in Hebei on Wednesday, Fan won all seven of his men’s singles ties, including beating world No 1 Lin Shidong 3-2.
A Weibo hashtag praising Fan – who does not have a world ranking – for beating the men’s top player subsequently went viral.
“10 months without international appearances and six [months] without any matches, yet still could beat the world No 1, Fan is still the King,” one commentator said.
