Can Bernie break Sun's streak?
21 April 2023
Sun Yingsha (CHN) vs Bernadette Szocs (ROU) – Women’s Singles Quarterfinal | Infinity ∞ Arena | 20:10 (GMT+8:00)
Get your popcorn out because tonight at WTT Champions Macao 2023 the World No. 1 Sun Yingsha faces the queen of upsets Bernadette Szocs for a spot in the semifinal.
Fans are in for a treat with this being the duo's first ever international encounter. Will the element of surprise favour Szocs? Or will Sun's status see her steamroll the Romanian? Or will we have a battle that goes down to the wire? With the drama that has unfolded so far in Macao we aren't taking bets on which script we will see played out.
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For Szocs, Macao is fast becoming her 'happy place'. At the 2022 edition of this event, Bernie pulled off a career defining victory, upsetting Olympic champion and Singapore Smash 2022 winner Chen Meng in a five-game thriller. Fortune has followed her back to Macao and in the round of 32 this week, she pulled off another upset. The World No.27 performed above her standing and upset the odds defeating 7th seed Chen Xingtong. Szocs' confidence will be sky-high in pursuit of another upset tonight.
However, Bernie is facing the World No.1. Sun not only won last year’s edition in Macao but has now won four WTT series titles in a row and is currently on the third longest win streak ever recorded in the women’s game. ‘Sha Sha’ sits on 24 wins in a row and will look to add to that total as she aims to go back-to-back in Macao.
But the cracks may be showing for the seemingly invincible Sun. The World No.1 had to come back from 0-2 down yesterday against Ying Han. People were questioning whether the streak was finally coming to an end and a new winner would be crowned. But Sha Sha shrugged off concerns and returned to her best, winning the next three games 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 to take the match in five.
The wobble from Sun will give Bernie some confidence. With wins against Chen Meng and Chen Xingtong in her pocket, Szocs will have the belief she can take another major upset, even in the face of the world's best player.
For Szocs to break her opponent's consistency, she will need to utilise her unique tomahawk and slicing serves to force Sha Sha into playing passively. She will also need to avoid giving Sun any chance to step around and play her signature killer forehands. Instead she will need to keep the Chinese star stuck guessing on the backhand corner until Szocs herself can play one of her big forehand counters. If the Romanian falls back on the tactics she used against Chen Meng last year, trying to move the ball from side to side on the table, she will likely be punished as Sha Sha’s defence is almost unbreakable right now.
But there is one certainty; when this match gets going, you won't want to miss it. Sun is looking ahead to making it five WTT Series titles in a row as well as edging ever so closer to Chen Meng’s 31 win streak. Meanwhile Szocs will be out to make her first ever WTT Champions semifinal, and if anyone can pull off an upset against the unstoppable World No.1, it just may be Bernadette Szocs in Macao.