Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju won his first International Table Tennis Federation World Tour men’s singles title at the Czech Open Aug. 25 in Olomouc.
The ITTF 13th-ranked Lin comfortably defeated Germany’s former world No. 1 Dimitrij Ovtcharov, dropping a single set en route to an 11-9, 11-5, 4-11, 11-5, 11-9 victory. The win earned the 18-year-old US$21,000 in prize money and is expected to see him move into the top 10, the youngest player from Taiwan to achieve the feat.
Following the match, Lin said he was happy to claim his first world tour singles title, but downplayed its impact on his future. “I don’t think it’ll change how I approach my career, as the games aren’t going to get any easier.”
The Czech Open triumph continued an already impressive year for Lin, with standout performances including mixed doubles wins at the China and Hong Kong opens, as well as multiple titles at the Challenge Plus Oman Open and T2 Diamond Malaysia events.
Lin, who has his sights squarely set on a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, is due to start at New Taipei City-based Fu Jen Catholic University in September. The athlete-scholar is expected to make full use of the institution’s elite sporting facilities as he prepares for the Olympics. (KTJ-E)
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