“Rather than beating Han Ying, I am most happy that I practiced and came out in real battle.”
When asked about her feelings before the Tokyo Olympics, Shin Yu-bin (18, Korean Air, 34th in the world), the “Korea’s leading female table tennis star,” answered calmly.
Shin Yu-bin defeated ‘German top ranker’ Han Ying (39, world number 10) 3-1 in the round of 16 of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Champions Xinxiang 2023 women’s singles held at Shanshang Pingyuan Sports Center in China on the afternoon of the 12th (Korean time). reached the quarterfinals.
It was such a bloody battle that 3 out of 4 games were close to deuce. Han Ying, who was naturalized as a German from China in 2010, led the team silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and won the ‘Europe Top 16’ Cup last year. In the face-to-face토스카지노 confrontation with ‘the world’s best defender’ Han Ying, Shin Yu-bin was smart, fast and powerful. She was unstoppable in both the number fight and the spirit fight in the rally. Her explosive attack power, as well as her impregnable receive, dazzling tempo and reflexes, allowed her to hit all the balls of her opponents. With beads of sweat on her forehead, she did not lose her concentration at every point. She was outstanding in 4 games, 8-10, in a situation where she gave up game points to the opponent, and won the victory by unwaveringly taking 4 points down. The moment her last receive of Han Ying went off the table and confirmed her victory, Shin Yu-bin raised her left arm in cheers and closed her eyes tightly as if in tears. She jumped up and down to coach Rae on the bench and gave her a high-five of joy.
Shin Yubin first faced Han Ying in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics team match against Germany. In the first Olympics of her life, she struggled against the ‘god of defense’, but lost 1-3 due to experience points and numbers. After a year and a half of confrontation, Shin Yubin has grown remarkably. At the end of last month, Shin Yu-bin, who passed the Hangzhou Asian Games national team selection round in first place, succeeded in revenge with a powerful drive and unbreakable fighting against ‘the world’s best defender’.
After the match, Yubin Shin focused on the content, not the victory. “I am very happy that I prepared one by one before playing against Ying Han, and it came out in this game. Rather than winning against Ying Han, I am most happy that I prepared while practicing and came out in the real game,” he said calmly.
After undergoing surgery and rehabilitation for over a year after suffering a wrist injury at the 2021 World Championships in Houston, ‘Pepper’ Shin Yu-bin returned with her skills and mind growing. He defeated a German top-ranked player and revealed his definite presence on the world stage. At 3:10 pm on the 13th, Shin Yu-bin will compete against Chinese ace Wang Yi-di, who is ranked #3 in the world, for the semifinals.
On the other hand, a heartwarming story was also conveyed after the thrilling victory that day. On this day, Shin Yu-bin sent a snack car loaded with tteokbokki and fish cakes to the site of the 49th National Elementary School Table Tennis Competition held at the Gimcheon Indoor Gymnasium through her parents. She delivered the message, “Yubin prepared delicious snacks! She eats well and cheers up ♡”.
Her juniors burst into laughter at the surprise gift from senior Shin Yu-bin, a ‘table tennis prodigy’ who did not miss first place in the 1st to 6th grade presidential contest in elementary school. Shin Yu-bin, who sent snack tea for her friends and juniors to the field of the ‘Youth Standing Army Selection Competition’ last January, is a player who knows the joy and gratitude of sharing. She said, “I feel happier and more grateful because junior players in elementary school seem to like it. Thanks to you, I think it’s a driving force for me to do my best. It’s rewarding,” she said with a broad smile.