Chen Yi Faces Han Ying in US Grand Smash: Can She Replicate Last Year's Success?
The WTT US Grand Smash draw ceremony took place recently, revealing that Chen Yi, the women’s singles runner-up from the 2025 event, is seeded in the 5/8 section. There are three key reasons why Chen Yi’s performance in this tournament is highly anticipated. 
Firstly, Chen Yi delivered an outstanding performance at last year’s US Grand Smash. In July 2024, she caused a major upset by defeating Sun Yingsha in the women’s singles round of 16. In the quarterfinals, she faced Hina Hayata, the bronze medalist from the Paris Olympics, and staged a remarkable comeback. 
After losing the first three games, Chen Yi rallied to win the next four, securing her place in the semifinals. She then defeated her teammate Kuai Man in a grueling seven-game match before losing to Zhu Yuling in the final, showcasing her potential as a dark horse in the tournament. 
Secondly, Chen Yi and Hina Hayata are both in the 5/8 section this year, with the potential for a rematch in the race for a quarterfinal spot. The matchups in this section include Chen Yi vs. Han Ying, Zhang An vs. Yuan Jiaan, Zeng Jian vs. Bajeau, and Ye Yitian vs. Hina Hayata. 
Thirdly, Chen Yi’s opening match is against German chopper Han Ying. In the recent WTT Ljubljana Star Challenge women’s singles final, Chen Yi lost to Japanese player Miu Hirahara, who employs a pimpled rubber style. The key for Chen Yi will be adapting to the different spin and rubber characteristics of her opponent to advance past the first round. 
Last year, the then 21-year-old Chen Yi garnered attention for her impressive play, particularly her resilience in challenging situations, leading to high expectations from the Chinese national team. However, in the following year, her results did not meet these expectations. 
During a critical phase of transition for the Chinese women’s team, Chen Yi missed out on the opportunity to participate in the London World Team Championships. Nevertheless, she secured a spot on the Chinese team for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in the women’s team and women’s doubles events, as announced by the Chinese Table Tennis Association on June 25th. 
Currently, Chen Yi is ranked 6th in the world by the International Table Tennis Federation with 4350 points, making her the fourth-highest ranked Chinese player. As she approaches her 22nd birthday, Chen Yi needs to perform consistently in major tournaments to enhance her chances of qualifying for the world’s top three events. 
With the excitement of last year’s performance still fresh, fans are eager to see if Chen Yi can deliver another standout performance at the US Grand Smash. - Table Tennis Network’s Aletai Li Long, Original Content 
