Earlier this month, I was too swamped to keep up with Chuqin's singles matches at China Smash, only hearing later about his loss to Anders Lind. Fast forward four days and Wang Chuqin teamed up with Liang Jingkun in Men's Doubles. Their pairing—ranked #28 in the world (despite Wang holding the #1 individual ranking in men's doubles for quite a while)—pulled off a stunner in the final against the tournament's top-seed pair, Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Shidong (#8 in the world).
This win was extra sweet since it marked their first title as a duo, even though they've been buddies for nearly a decade and have occasionally joined forces since 2019. The real highlight wasn't just the fightback after dropping the first two games—it was watching Wang and Liang's communication during every break. Thanks to the livestream feed, we got to see Wang taking on a natural leadership role, calmly breaking down tactics and offering strategic insights. Their mutual trust and smart gameplay did seal the deal. Who knew we had Coach Wang in the house!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_CDO3lLpSE
They're just too cute.
For more details on Wang's performance at China Smash, check out my tournament roundup China Smash 2024 and WTT's YouTube channel.