Shin Yu-bin beats world No. 10 to reach WTT Champions quarterfinals

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Published: 13 Apr. 2023, 16:30 Updated: 03 Jan. 2024, 16:13

Shin Yu-bin beats world No. 10 to reach WTT Champions quarterfinals

Shin Yu-bin in action during a World Table Tennis (WTT) Champions Xinxiang 2023 match against Ying Han in Xinxiang, China in a photo shared on the WTT's official Facebook page on Wednesday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Korean table tennis prospect Shin Yu-bin got revenge for her defeat to Ying Han two years ago in the Tokyo Olympics, beating the world No. 10 in the World Table Tennis (WTT) Champions Xinxiang 2023 in Xinxiang, China on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals.

The WTT Champions is a tournament in which a total of 64 players with high world rankings compete.

Shin faced Han — a naturalized German from China — in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics and crashed out of the tournament after losing to the world No. 10.

The 39-year-old was not an easy opponent to beat, but Shin pulled off a remarkable performance.

The 18-year-old reached a tied 10-10 score before taking the first game 13-11. Shin rode that momentum into the second game, grabbing the game 11-8.

She lost the third game 12-10, but bounced back to win the fourth game 12-10, ultimately reaching the quarterfinal of the event with a 3-1 win.

Shin first came to prominence at the Olympics as she became the youngest Korean table tennis player ever to play at the Olympics.

The Korean prospect, however, picked up a wrist injury in November 2021 during the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships in Houston. That injury did not heal quickly, ultimately forcing her to undergo rehabilitation for about a year.

During the rehabilitation period, she focused on her lower body strength, which has enabled her to move with more agility.

The victory over Han showed that Shin has improved since the Olympics.

As of press time Thursday, Shin was set to face Wang Yidi of China in the quarterfinal later in the afternoon.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]