While there are no easy matches in T2 Diamond, it was perhaps Liang Jingkun’s misfortune to draw Patrick Franziska first up. The German player’s confidence is sky high, having beaten Fan Zhendong in the lead-up to this event. And he played in the same fearless manner, taking the game to Liang, whose attempt to seize the early initiative was continually hampered by a lack of accuracy. Evenly matched throughout, Liang and Franziska even served up an exhibition rally in the fourth game that had the spectators cheering long and hard. It came down to who could master the FAST5 and Franziska kept a better composure to close out the match and book a quarter-final meeting with Wong Chun Ting.
I think I was a bit too nervous today and did not perform to my best, and the FAST5 was also new to me.
Liang Jingkun
I came here with a lot of confidence, especially after beating Fan Zhendong last week. This is a great venue, I really enjoy playing here and the spectators are so supportive.
Patrick Franziska
About International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF):
The International Table Tennis Federation is the global governing body of Table Tennis. Affiliated to six Continental and 226 National Associations, the ITTF coordinates over 100 international events per year and has long been represented at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In accordance with its Strategic Plan, the ITTF is fully committed to growing the sport in five key areas: Organisation & Governance, High Performance & Development, International Events, Promotion and Revenue.
Find out more about the International Table Tennis Federation at ITTF.com.
Media contact: media@ittf.com
About T2 Diamond Table Tennis League (T2 Diamond):
T2 Diamond Table Tennis League is the most prestigious series of annual professional events organised in collaboration with the International Table Tennis Federation. T2 Diamond 2019 will feature 32 of the world’s best men’s and women’s players competing across three tournaments for a combined prize purse of USD 1.5 million, and bonus ITTF World Ranking points as they battle their way to 2020 Tokyo Olympic qualification. The revolutionary league employs a unique competition format and various other innovations that catapult table tennis into a truly entertaining spectator sport, whilst providing players with the ultimate environment in which to compete and excel.
Headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Shanghai, Tokyo and Chicago, T2 Diamond is committed to unlocking the true commercial potential of table tennis by expanding its appeal through its high quality, immersive content and venue experience.
Find out more about T2 Diamond at www.t2diamond.com
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Media contact: media@t2apac.com