35-year-old fighting spirit Dakgong Lee Sang-soo, 0-4 loss to Xiangfeng, first runner-up history
Apr 06, 2025
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Lee Sang-soo lost 0-4 (5-1 11-5 11-9 11-2 8-1 11-9 11-9 11-9 11-1 11-9 in the men's singles final of the WTT Champions Incheon at Inspire Arena in Incheon on the 6th. Although he lost, Lee Sang-soo is the first Korean player to advance to the finals at the WTT Champions, where only top rankers from around the world are invited.
Lee Sang-soo, who had strong physical strength and mental strength and a strong drive, was nicknamed 'Dakgong'. If the ball fits properly, it has the power to turn Chinese top rankers Panjendong and Marong. In fact, Lee Sang-soo, who beat China the most among Korean players, returned the national flag shortly after winning the men's singles title at the end of last year. He was preparing to retire for the last time this season for his second act as a leader in his team, Samsung Life Insurance. In fact, while preparing for the domestic competition after participating in the WTT Champions Chongqing last month with 'Last Dance', the opportunity for the 'Wild Card' came due to the injury of junior Cho Dae-sung, and this competition, which he played with Samsung Life Insurance coach Lee Chul-seung with joy, led the world's sixth-ranked Felix LeBrug of France, the world's fifth-ranked Linga Oyuan of China, and Taiwan's top ranker Lin Yun-ju to reach the final of the Champions for the first time by a Korean player.
Wang Yi (3rd in the world) - Chen Xingtong (4th in the world) will play in the women's singles and Lee Sang-soo - Xiangfeng will play in the men's singles final. Lee Sang-soo was the only 'non-Chinese' finalist. After Chen Xing-tong beat Wang Yi 4-3 in a close game to secure the championship, Lee Sang-soo and Xiangfeng's last round of victory began. His previous record with Xiangfeng was disadvantageous with 1 win and 3 losses, but he won 3-2 (11-3, 4-11, 5-11, 11-8, 13-11) in the round of 32 WTT contenter Taiyuan in May last year. Lee Sang-soo, whose momentum soared as he played with a light body and mind, confronted with confidence with the final of fate, the pride of Korean table tennis.
One game, Lee Sang-soo got off to a good start with two points first. took a 4-1 lead. Lee Sang-soo's strong foredrive and Xiangfeng's miss followed, leading 6-3. "Lee Sang-soo!" roared cheers. However, after that, the mistake continued and gave up an 8-8 tie, and Xiangfeng's quick beat raised the receiving high, allowing an 8-9 reversal. I lost my first game 8-11.
Xiangfeng's momentum to win his first championship was revived with two games, with top Chinese players not participating. He scored three points while catching the rally game. Lee Sang-soo's receiving, which had been stable until the semifinals, shook and gave up two games 0-11.
Three games, Xiangfeng's strong ball, and a sharp course to divide the table were followed. The first receiving shook and the struggle continued. They also lost three games with a score of 3-11. Xiangfeng, who recently lost to Lee Sang-soo, tormented Lee Sang-soo with perfect preparation. Game Score 0-3. The last four games, when Lee Sang-soo was pushed to 0-3 in the beginning, head coach Lee Chul-seung requested a timeout. On the bench "Confidently! Sangsu, fighting!cried " Lee Sang-soo didn't give up until the end. They followed 4-7 with consecutive points after the timeout. However, he failed to get Xiangfeng's fast, low ball. He finished his first ever Champions Final by losing the final game 5-11.
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In the quarterfinals, after turning the "Chinese ace" Lingaoyuan "China is also a person. My strength of not giving up and holding out until the end and trying worked. Legendary seniors' praise relay also continued. A manager of the business team who watched the fighting spirit of a 35-year-old player close up said, `After all, it's physical strength and training. I hope many juniors will learn from Lee Sang-soo's grit and persistence." Lee Sang-soo, the president of the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee in Yoo Seung Min, said, "(Lee) Sang-soo's great performance is known by his body and lower body muscles. The older you get, the better your body gets. It means you're trying so hard. With his unshakable mentality and strong physical strength, he is showing good performance until his mid-30s." Lee Cheol-seung, the head coach of Samsung Life Insurance who has been in the same class with Lee Sang-soo for more than 15 years, said, `When he is over thirty, the amount of practice is halved, and there is a lot of treatment, reinforcement, and management, but Sang-soo has been practicing more or the same as his juniors until recently. No matter how good a player is technically, the amount of practice and physical strength must not be followed. Sangsu has the same amount of practice and training process as he was in his heyday and now. So it's something that can last this much." "As we get older, our RBI will slow down and our ball speed and power will decrease, so we will have a hard time falling down on our own, but Sang-soo's tip of the cheek is getting more alive." Psychologically, I've become comfortable as well. I'm enjoying every game. There is room for receiving, defense. As the end of the table tennis career approaches, table tennis is becoming more sophisticated," he praised.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
