Lin, Wang reach second round at WTT United States Smash

Men's world No. 1 Lin Shidong and women's second seed Wang Manyu of China both advanced to the last 32 at the World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash on Monday.

Lin emerged victorious in a full-game battle against France's Thibault Poret, while Wang swept past Sweden's Christina Kallberg in straight games.

Facing Poret, Lin twice held the lead but was pushed to a deciding game by his 34th-ranked opponent before sealing the win with an 11-5 final game.

"As I haven't competed internationally for a while, my adaptation to the venue and the table wasn't that good at the start," said Lin. "As the match progressed, I became more confident in my shots. Hopefully I will get the shape back as soon as possible and go all out against any opponent."

Chinese players had mixed results in the men's singles first round. Xiang Peng defeated Portugal's Joao Geraldo three-one, but Lin Gaoyuan fell to Spain's Alvaro Robles in five games, and Zhou Qihao lost in straight games to Nigeria's Quadri Aruna.

In the women's draw, Wang Manyu controlled the key moments in an 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 win over Kallberg.

"It was our first encounter, so I made full preparations for what might lie ahead. I just kept patient on crucial points, and tried to reduce unforced errors," Wang remarked.

Asked about her goals for the tournament, Wang said, "Raise my game and adaptation game by game."

She was joined in the second round by teammate Wang Yidi, who defeated Japanese wildcard Miyu Nagasaki 3-0, and Xu Yi, who edged past Shi Xunyao in an all-Chinese matchup.

Also on Monday, notable players advancing included Lin Yun-ju of Chinese Taipei, Sweden's Truls Moregard, and Japan's Satsuki Odo and Mima Ito.