Shin Yu-bin (Korean Air) left a somewhat disappointing result in her domestic stage comeback match.

Shin Yu-bin was unable to prevent her team from losing to Hwaseong City Corporation in the quarterfinals of the 71st National Men’s and Women’s Table Tennis Championships for the Women’s Open team event held on the afternoon of the 24th at the Gangneung Arena.

The team event in this tournament is being held in a 3-player, 5-match format similar to the World Championships. Shin Yu-bin recorded 1 win and 1 loss in the quarterfinal match against Hwaseong City Corporation. She started strongly by defeating her opponent Kim Ha-young in the first match as the team lead, but lost to Yang Ha-eun 1-3 (11-7, 3-11, 12-14, 6-11) in the fourth match, bringing her team to defeat.

Korean Air is the defending champion of the women’s open team event at last year’s national championships. With Shin Yu-bin’s loss in the fourth match, the team faced early elimination in this tournament, losing face as the defending champion. On the other hand, the Hwaseong City Corporation women’s table tennis team has bolstered its strength this season by acquiring many prominent female players like Yang Ha-eun and Kim Ha-young, quickly becoming a title contender in this tournament. In particular, Yang Ha-eun not only won her match against Shin Yu-bin in the fourth match but also secured a valuable victory for her new team by winning the second match against Lee Eun-hye.

The ace of the women’s national table tennis team, Shin Yu-bin, last participated in a domestic tournament in June 2023, at the Federation President’s Cup held in Inje, Gangwon Province. It was also a women's team event, where she lost to Yang Ha-eun, who was then with POSCO International, in a thrilling full-game match, and her team finished as the runner-up. In this long-awaited comeback match, she faced Yang Ha-eun again, who has since changed teams, and lost. The experience of the seasoned Yang Ha-eun, who is a former national representative, caught Shin Yu-bin at critical moments.

Shin Yu-bin does not compete in the individual event of this tournament. She wrapped up her domestic stage comeback match with some regret. Shin Yu-bin, who will compete in the individual event at the World Table Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar, next month, found the result of this tournament to be a bitter pill to swallow. The necessity for a comeback victory in Doha has become mandatory. After the match, Shin Yu-bin said, “It’s a competition I’ve always participated in, and just because it’s a domestic event, I didn’t feel more pressure. I lost to (Yang) Ha-eun unnie, who is a very skilled senior. Right now, I just think I need to work harder so that I don’t repeat mistakes in the next competition. I will also make sure not to let my guard down in any match at the world event.”

Meanwhile, the 71st National Men’s and Women’s Table Tennis Championships, now on its third day, has determined the quarterfinals for both the men’s and women’s open events. In the men’s category, it’s Korea Water Resources Corporation vs. Korea Racing Authority, and Korea Exchange vs. Mirae Asset Securities, while in the women’s category, it’s Hwaseong City Corporation vs. Ansan City Hall, and Korea Racing Authority vs. POSCO International. Currently, the individual doubles tournament is ongoing, with the final matches for men’s and women’s doubles scheduled for the 25th, which is the fourth day, while the finals for the individual singles and team events will take place on the 26th, the fifth day. During the same period, the winners of each event in the college division will also be determined. From the 27th to the last day on the 29th, matches for promising male and female elementary, middle, and high school players will take place.

The National Table Tennis Championships are considered one of the two major events in the domestic table tennis scene, alongside the year-end comprehensive championships, and are the highest prestigious elite table tennis tournament. It is the only tournament that carries the title of 'championship.' Opportunities are available for all registered players in each category from elementary level (U-12), middle (U-15), high school level (U-18), college division, to the open division to compete for the championship in their respective categories. This tournament, which is now in its 71st year, is hosted by the Korea Table Tennis Association (President Lee Tae-sung), overseen by the Gangwon Table Tennis Association (President Nam Sang-won) and the Gangneung Table Tennis Association (President Park Moon-seok), and supported by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) and Gangneung City (Mayor Kim Hong-kyu).

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