Lin Yunru defeated Huang Zhenting in a comeback and advanced to the top 32 of the WTT China Grand Slam

Lin Yunru made a comeback and defeated Hong Kong's No. 1 brother Huang Zhenting and advanced to the top 32 of men's singles. (Taken from WTT official website)

[Reporter Hui Mingli/Comprehensive Report] "Silent Assassin" Lin Yunru overcame a 1:2 deficit in the first round of the men's singles of the 2026 WTT China Grand Slam today, and reversed 3:2 against the world's 38th-ranked Hong Kong pen-hand hit player Huang Zhenting. He advanced to the top 32 in a thrilling manner. In the next round, he will meet the 21-year-old Chinese left-handed rising star Huang Youzheng.

Lin Yunru, ranked 6th in the world, had a slight advantage against Huang Zhenting in international competitions with 4 wins and 3 losses. He also won 3:1 in the 2024 Asian Championships last time. However, Xiao Lin, who just finished the Asian Games, was not in the best condition today. In the first game, he lost 3 points in a row at 6. Although he resolved a game point, he made a mistake in receiving the serve and gave up at 8:11. In the second game, Lin Yunru reduced unnecessary mistakes and launched a 6:1 offensive with a 3:2 lead, regaining the victory at 11:5.

In the third game, Lin Yunru lost 3 points in a row after 7 draws, including a lucky tennis shot from his opponent. Although he struggled to save 2 game points, he was eventually succeeded by Huang Zhenting's backhand diagonal attack and lost at 9:11. Lin Yunru, who was fighting against the odds, was on full fire in the fourth game, leading all the way after the start of 4:1, and tied the game at 11:7. In the decisive game, he scored 3 points in a row, forcing his opponent to call a timeout. After returning to the game, Xiaolin still maintained the lead. Facing Huang Zhenting's pursuit, Xiaolin also called a timeout at 7:5, and then responded with a 4:1 counterattack, winning 2 consecutive games at 11:6.

Huang Youzheng, ranked 65th in the world, faced South Korean star Lim Jong-hoon, ranked 35th in the world, in the first round. He overcame the desperate situation at 7:10 in the deciding game. After resolving 5 consecutive match points, he came back to win 11:5, 6:11, 7:11, 11:5, 16:14.