SEOUL  – South Korea's table tennis star, Shin Yu-bin (Korean Air), has secured a spot in the semifinals of the 2025 World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash in Beijing, overcoming the fierce challenge posed by her compatriot Joo Cheon-hui (Samsung Life).

In the women's singles quarterfinals held on October 3, Shin clinched a dramatic 4-2 (14-16, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7) comeback victory against Joo, who is a naturalized player originally from China's Shandong province.

Overcoming the 'Joo Cheon-hui Storm' 

The quarterfinal victory follows Shin's earlier success in the Round of 16, where she also came from behind to defeat China's world No. 4 Kuai Man 3-2, snapping a daunting eight-match losing streak against Chinese players this year.

World No. 35 Joo Cheon-hui had been a major surprise, causing an "uprising on the table" by defeating high-ranked players such as Japan's Mima Ito (world No. 8) in the Round of 32 and China's Shi Xunyao (world No. 12) in the Round of 16. Despite her lower ranking, Joo's solid fundamentals and bold play initially put world No. 17 Shin on the back foot.

Joo quickly took the first two games with scores of 16-14 and 11-7, even after Shin fought back to force a deuce in the opener.

The Power of the Comeback 

However, Shin, known for her strong fighting spirit, changed the game's momentum from the third set. At 8-8 in the third game, Shin scored three consecutive points with powerful, quick attacks and high-spin serves to win 11-8.

Shin's aggressive play continued into the fourth game, where she overturned a 3-3 tie to lead 7-4, eventually winning 11-9. Her strong finish was evident in the fifth game; after letting a 9-6 lead slip to 9-9, Shin used her impressive resilience to take the set 11-9, completing the 3-2 turnaround.

With her confidence soaring, Shin dominated the final sixth game. She established a 6-4 lead early on and secured the final point on her match point at 10-7, concluding the thrilling comeback and sealing her place in the semis.

Semifinal Showdown Awaits 

Shin Yu-bin now advances to the semifinals, where she will compete for a spot in the final against the winner of the match between world No. 2 Wang Manyu (China) and Japan's top player Miwa Harimoto (world No. 6). Her continued success in this highly competitive tournament, especially in overcoming a tough field that includes the Chinese wall, marks a significant achievement for Korean women's table tennis.

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