In the quarterfinals of the men’s singles table tennis event at the Paris Olympic Games, Chinese player Fan Zhendong defeated Japanese opponent Tomokazu Harimoto 4-3, advancing to the semifinals. Afterwards, Xinhua News published a feature article titled “Little Fatty’s match was a real heart-stopper!”
The report stated that this match had everyone on edge. “It was so tense!” said Liu Guoliang, chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association. “It made my heart ache!” said Li Sun, the 61-year-old head coach of the national team. Wang Hao, in the coaching booth, had tears in his eyes, while Ma Long, in the spectator stands, had a tight look in his.
According to media reports, as Fan Zhendong struck a diagonal shot with his forehand, Tomokazu Harimoto could only watch helplessly as the ball flew past him, and the entire arena erupted into cheers. Tomokazu hung his head in resignation, while “Little Fatty” opened his arms, closed his eyes, and embraced the hard-fought victory.
Additionally, the media noted that this was a must-win match for the Chinese men’s singles team. Before the game, no one could have predicted that the victory would be so difficult, coming in the form of an incredible comeback.