Zeng Jian stuns world No. 17 Adriana Diaz to make last 16 at World Table Tennis C’ships

Singapore's Zeng Jian, seen here at the Paris 2024 Olympics, beat Puerto Rico's Adriana Diaz to progress to the women's singles last 16 at the World Table Tennis Championships. PHOTO: REUTERS

Zeng Jian stuns world No. 17 Adriana Diaz to make last 16 at World Table Tennis C’ships

SINGAPORE – Displaying mental fortitude under pressure, Singapore’s Zeng Jian pulled off back-to-back 4-3 victories to move into the women’s singles round of 16 at the World Table Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar.

On May 20, the world No. 71 stunned Puerto Rico’s 17th-ranked Adriana Diaz 4-3 (11-7, 11-8, 7-11, 10-12, 13-11, 6-11, 11-5) in the round of 32 at the Lusail Sports Arena.

Up next for the SEA Games women’s singles champion is Japan’s world No. 6 and Olympic women’s team silver medallist Miwa Harimoto, or North Korea’s world No. 53 Kim Kum-yong, a silver medallist in the Olmypic mixed doubles, on May 22.

Zeng, who was eliminated in the first round in her world championships debut in 2023, did well to race to a two-game lead against Diaz.

However, Diaz, who was once ranked as high as world No. 9 in 2022, showed her pedigree by taking the next two games, saving one game point in the fourth game in the process.

With momentum on her opponent’s side, Zeng found herself 5-10 down in the fifth game but mounted an impressive comeback as she saved six game points to win 13-11.

Diaz took the match to the wire, but her Singaporean rival maintained her composure to win the first five points in the decider. Though Diaz attempted to fight back and narrowed the gap to 5-7, Zeng won the next four points to secure a morale-boosting win.

In the earlier rounds, Zeng had to come from behind to beat Chile’s145th-ranked Daniela Ortega 4-2 (6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9, 11-4) and Taiwanese world No. 185 Huang Yu-chiao 4-3 (9-11, 11-8, 4-11, 5-11, 11-5, 15-13, 11-3).

This is the furthest a Singaporean player has progressed in the event since Feng Tianwei reached the last 16 in 2019.

Zeng is the last Singaporean standing in the tournament after world No. 12 men’s doubles pair Koen Pang and Izaac Quek suffered a narrow 3-2 (11-6, 2-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7) last-16 loss to Japan’s fifth-ranked Hiroto Shinozuka and Shunsuke Togami.

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