Their fairy-tale run at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Finals may have ended, but the partnership of Koen Pang and Izaac Quek promises more exciting chapters, with Pang seeing "a lot of room for improvement".
On Nov 22, the Singaporean duo lost 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 to world No. 6 Shunsuke Togami and Hiroto Shinozuka in the men's doubles semifinals of the US$700,000 (S$944,000) season-ending tournament in Fukuoka, Japan.
The home favourites will play world No. 2 Alexis and Felix Lebrun in the final on Nov 23. The French siblings beat teammates Florian Bourrassaud and Esteban Dorr 12-10, 11-6, 11-3 in the other semi-final.
Earlier, world No. 10 Pang and Quek had created a seismic shock at the Kitakyushu General Gymnasium when they swept China's world No. 1 and defending champions Yuan Licen and Xiang Peng in the opening round on Nov 20.
However, they were not able to repeat their giant-slaying feat despite a rousing start in which they led 6-0 in the opener.
Pang impressed with his fluid strokes while Quek also pulled off lovely blocks. But after they came back from 2-7 down in the second game to lead 8-7, the Japanese duo rallied to take control and win the second and third games.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 23, 2024 من The Straits Times.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 23, 2024 من The Straits Times.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Percival Everett wins US National Book Award for fiction
American author Percival Everett won the US National Book Award for fiction on Nov 20 for his novel James, a propulsive and slyly funny retelling of American writer Mark Twain's Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn (1884) from the perspective of Huck's companion, an enslaved man named James.
Actor Jussie Smollett's conviction for staged attack overturned
American actor Jussie Smollett's conviction for fabricating a racist and homophobic hate crime in Chicago in 2019 was overturned on Nov 21 on due process grounds.
K-pop CD output draws fire as plastic waste talks loom
SEOUL - K-pop music may be South Korea's buzziest export, but the industry needlessly creates mountains of plastic in its home market by churning out CDs that most fans do not even listen to, critics say.
Actress Yvonne Lim returning to Singapore after 10 years in Taiwan
Singaporean actress Yvonne Lim is ready for a new chapter in her life. The 48-year-old announced on social media on Nov 21 that she has opened a YouTube channel.
Striking scenes from abstract triptych in Puppet Origin Stories
A wilfully abstract triptych of stories that make up the third edition of Puppet Origin Stories will frustrate the theatregoer in search of meaning, but delight those who can surrender to the weird and affecting visual scenes crafted on stage.
Kim Soo-hyun samples local food and finds it 'very satisfying'
The K-drama star is here to promote his new series as part of Disney's showcase of upcoming Asian titles
Entrepreneur rediscovers her need for speed
Ms Janice Oo lives out the famous line from the 1986 Hollywood flick, Top Gun, when the lead character \"Maverick\", played by Tom Cruise, declared: \"I feel the need, the need for speed.\"
Timeless Velar refreshed with hybrid engine
The model by Range Rover is relaxing to drive, but the controls feel lighter and less direct than those of its rivals
Wish come true for BYD buyers with families
The M6 is the first mid-sized electric seven-seater to be available here
Subtle serenity
Newly-weds pick clean, functional Japandi aesthetic for their HDB flat
