Chen Yi Falls to Miho Kurumizawa Again, Extending Losing Streak to Four Matches

player · 2026-06-20

Chen Yi Falls to Miho Kurumizawa Again, Extending Losing Streak to Four Matches

In the WTT Ljubljana Star Challenge on June 20th, Chinese table tennis player Chen Yi suffered a 1-3 defeat against Japan’s Miho Kurumizawa (9-11, 13-11, 7-11, 8-11), exiting the tournament in the round of 32. According to the ITTF world rankings for the 25th week of this year, Chen Yi is ranked 6th in women’s singles with 4385 points, making her the fourth highest-ranked Chinese player. Miho Kurumizawa is ranked 25th with 1250 points, the seventh highest in the Japanese team. This match marks the fourth time Chen Yi has faced Miho Kurumizawa in the past four years, with the outcome and scores mirroring the previous three encounters—a 1-3 loss.

Here are the results of their recent matches:

Before 2023, the two had met four times, with Chen Yi winning three and losing one. In the 2019 ITTF HAT YAI World Junior Team Championships, Miho Kurumizawa won 3-1. In the 2021 ITTF Gaia Nova World Junior Championships U19 Team event, Chen Yi triumphed 3-2. In the 2022 ITTF Lattes World Junior Championships U19 Team event, Chen Yi again won 3-2. In the 2022 WTT Zagreb Regular Challenge, Chen Yi secured a 3-0 victory.

This match was their eighth international encounter in nearly seven years, with Chen Yi now holding a record of three wins and five losses. Both Chen Yi and Miho Kurumizawa were born in August 2004 and are nearing 22 years of age. Neither qualified for the London World Team Championships in May. Chen Yi is currently in a strong position for the Asian Games selection in Nagoya, while Miho Kurumizawa has been confirmed as not making the Japanese team for the event.

In this match, Chen Yi, standing at 1.77 meters, failed to utilize her longer reach effectively. She was frequently drawn out of position by Miho Kurumizawa’s attacks to her forehand. Despite her strong two-winged loop attacks, her shot placement was predictable and did not translate into effective scoring opportunities.

Miho Kurumizawa dominated the match with her varied serves, often scoring directly with serve and attack plays. Her receive and short push control were also more precise, giving her an edge throughout the game.

In the women’s doubles match earlier today, Chen Yi and her partner Kuai Man also lost to a Japanese pair. It is hoped that Chen Yi can analyze her losses and regain her form in the upcoming US Grand Slam. - Table Tennis Network Aletai Li Long Original