South Korean table tennis pair Jang Woo-jin and Lim Jong-hoon have reached the men’s doubles final of the World Championships for the second consecutive time메이저사이트. After narrowly missing out on a silver medal at the last edition of the event, the pair will be looking to win the first ever gold medal in men’s doubles at the World Championships.
Jang Woo-jin and Lim Jong-hoon came from behind to defeat Germany’s Dmitry Opcharov and Patrick Franziska 3-2 (11-7 5-11 8-11 11-9 11-5) in the men’s doubles quarterfinals at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships 2023 at the Durban International Convention Center (DICC) in Durban, South Africa, on Saturday (June 26).
Jang Woo-jin and Lim Jong-hoon took the first game with ease, but dropped the next two games to come from behind. In game two, they dropped seven consecutive points after scoring the first point. In game three, we took a 5-3 lead, tied it up, and battled back to 8-8 before dropping three points.
With just one more game to go, the pair of Jang Woo-jin and Lim Jong-hoon fought back. With the score tied at 2-2, the opponent’s attacker was out, making it 3-2.
Jang Woo-jin then hit a drive into the net to make it 4-2. Lim Jong-hoon made it 6-2 with a clever surprise attack and the opponent’s ball hitting the net.
Jang Woo-jin and Lim Jong-hoon maintained the gap and made it 10-6, but their attacks were hit into the net and the reception was out, leaving them trailing by one point, 10-9. The Koreans called a timeout to stop the unfavorable trend, and then the opponent’s attack after Lim Jong-hoon’s reception was out, tying the game at 2-2.
In the final game with a spot in the finals on the line, both teams were evenly matched from the start. After conceding the first point, a net error and a successful attack by Lim Jong-hoon brought Germany back to level the score at 4-4.
However, Korea’s back row was stronger. A powerful attack from Lim Jong-hoon, followed by a missed serve and a sharp backhand from Jang Woo-jin, quickly extended the lead to 10-4. Despite dropping a point, Lim Jong-hoon scored the final point to secure his place in the final.
Jang Woo-jin and Lim Jong-hoon pose for a photo with the media after reaching the men’s doubles final of the 2023 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Championships at the Durban International Convention Center (DICC) in Durban, South Africa, on Saturday (Nov. 26). Korea Table Tennis Association
After clinching victory, Lim Jong-hoon threw his arms in the air in celebration, while Jang Woo-jin pumped his fists and roared. After the match, Jang Woo-jin said, “It means a lot to be in the finals twice in a row,” adding, “It was a very difficult match, but we managed to get over the hump by trusting and relying on each other.” “It’s good to win, but it would have been easier if I had played a little better in the beginning,” said Lim Jong-hoon. “Woo-jin told me that my brother was fine, so I was able to play more confidently.”
The pair made history by becoming the first Korean table tennis team to reach back-to-back men’s doubles finals at the World Championships. However, they are still hungry after failing to win gold in the final of the last edition.
“We went to the (men’s doubles) final for the first time in 2021 and won a silver medal, but our goal is gold, so we thought we should come at least this far,” said Jang Woo-jin. “We don’t know who our opponents will be, but this time we’re going to go out with a ‘do or die’ attitude and come back with a gold medal.” “I really want to win a gold medal too,” said Lim Jong-hoon, “and I want to play hard no matter who my opponent is to make up for last year’s disappointment.”
Jang Woo-jin and Lim Jong-hoon pose for a photo with their teammates and local residents after reaching the men’s doubles final at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships 2023 at the Durban International Convention Center (DICC) in Durban, South Africa, on Saturday (Nov. 26). Korea Table Tennis Association
Their final opponents will be the winner of the match between South Korea’s Lee Sang-soo and Cho Dae-sung and China’s Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin. The two players are looking forward to the showdown between the Koreans. “If we have a Korean final, it means that Korean table tennis has improved,” said Jang Woo-jin, “so of course I hope the Korean pair will be in the final.” “I hope Sang Soo-hyung and Daesung come out on top,” said Lim Jong-hoon.