Afraid of Wang Chi-Lin? “Overpowered by Their Strength”

Jayce September 6, 2024 16 0

At the Super 750 Japan Open, Paris Olympic gold medalists Wang Chi-Lin and his 21-year-old partner Chiu Hsiang-chieh, known as the “Lin-Chiang Pair,” defeated Japan’s top men’s doubles duo, Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi, with scores of 21-16, 21-13. Following the match, Hoki and Kobayashi appeared quite disheartened.

Ranked 8th in the world, Hoki and Kobayashi, who won gold at the 2021 World Championships and once held the world number one spot, had set their sights on winning a medal at the Paris Olympics this year. However, their campaign ended prematurely as they were eliminated in the group stage, losing their opening match to the “Lin-Yang Pair,” Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin.

Now facing Wang Chi-Lin again at the Japan Open, Hoki and Kobayashi still found themselves unable to overcome the formidable duo, with Hoki admitting after the match, “One of our opponents is an Olympic gold medalist. We knew how to counter them, but we were still overpowered by their strength.”

After their early exit from the Japan Open, Hoki expressed their future ambitions, stating, “We aim to once again target the world number one spot.” Kobayashi added, “As long as we can participate in high-level events, we will continue to strive.”