Taiwan paddler Lin Yun-ju reaches WTT Singapore Smash quarterfinals

Taipei, Feb. 26 (CNA) Taiwanese table tennis star Lin Yun-ju (林昀儒) swept past his Chinese opponent in three straight games Thursday to reach the men's singles quarterfinals at the WTT Singapore Smash.

The 24-year-old Lin, ranked No. 8 in the world, held a perfect 4-0 head-to-head record in WTT competition against 22-year-old Xiang Peng (向鵬), the world No. 9, heading into the round of 16 match.

Lin took the opening game 11-8 after a tightly contested start, pulling away with a late three-point run fueled by aggressive shot-making.

In the second game, Lin maintained control and after reaching 2-2, steadily built a commanding lead, scoring repeatedly with his signature backhand flick to take the game 11-5.

In the early stages of the third game, Lin made several unforced errors and traded points with his opponent. However, trailing 3-4, he refocused, took control and scored consistently from mid and long-table rallies to win the next eight points and close out the match 11-4.

In the men's singles quarterfinals, he will face the winner of the match between Germany's Patrick Franziska and Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto.

The WTT Singapore Smash is being held from Feb. 19 to March 1.

In January, Lin won the men's singles title at the WTT Champions Doha in Qatar.