开封市第九届国际郁金香艺术节3月22日开幕

FRANKFURT -- China's table tennis star Wang Chuqin made a powerful return to the WTT series, defeating Japan's Shunsuke Togami 3-0 on Monday in the men's singles first round of Champions Frankfurt.

A two-time WTT Champions event winner, Wang secured a straight-game victory over Togami with scores of 12-10, 11-3, and 16-14 in the round of 32. Currently ranked World No. 1, Wang faced strong challenge as Togami pushed him to game points in the first and third games. However, Wang's resilience helped him seal the match in just 30 minutes.

"We started by testing each other in the opening game. Some unforced errors on my part created a tight situation," said Wang, 24. "After winning that first game, I felt less pressure and could play more to my strengths. I want to keep improving and maintain my level with each win."

In other action, Frankfurt's defending champion, Lin Yun-ju of Chinese Taipei, narrowly defeated Alexis Lebrun of France in a five-game thriller: 11-5, 11-5, 9-11, 9-11, 12-10.

"I executed my tactics well in the first two games, and I did the same in the third and fourth games as well. When I was leading, I wasn't so well-prepared for the long rallies. That's why I lost those two games," said Lin.

"I worried a bit, but I didn't think too much. I heard some cheering for me. It encouraged me, and it helped me during the match," added the 23-year-old.

The final women's singles match of the day saw World No. 2 Wang Manyu face Thailand's Orawan Paranang for their second meeting this season. Paranang impressed, matching Wang's pace for much of the contest, but Wang ultimately prevailed in four games to secure her spot in the round of 16 with scores of 11-9, 11-5, 11-13, and 11-6.