Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching on Sunday secured a bronze medal in the mixed doubles at the World Table Tennis Championships in Houston, Texas, after losing to their Chinese opponents 1-3 in the semi-finals.
The duo lost to Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 9-11, dashing their hopes of competing for the gold medal. It was the first time they had faced the Chinese duo.
In the first game, Lin and Cheng established an 8-6 lead, but gave away five straight points to lose on unforced errors.
Photo: Erik Williams-USA Today
They successfully regrouped and won the second game 11-7.
In the third game, the Chinese pair quickly established a seemingly unassailable 10-2 lead, and despite winning the next five points, Lin and Cheng had left themselves too much to do and lost 7-11.
The fourth game was closer, but the Taiwanese pair fell just short, losing the match 1-3.
Photo: EPA-EFE
As there is no match for third place at the tournament, Lin and Cheng are assured a bronze medal, as are the other losing semi-finalists.
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