Site Products
Kanak Jha

Jha Wins Again – Into the Round of 32 in Paris

(by Steve Hopkins)

After winning a preliminary round yesterday morning (a 4-0 win over Vladislav Ursu of Moldova), Jha had a difficult test today, matched up against World No. 23 Cho Daesseong of South Korea in the Round of 64.  Daesseong, a quick attacking player, has been on a consistent upward trajectory in the rankings over the last year moving from about No. 115 all the way up to No. 23.  His best win was an upset of Fan Zhendong a year ago at the WTT Star Contender in Goa.

In today’s match, Cho won the first game 11-8, taking the early lead.  Jha then evened the score with an 11-8 win over his own.  Cho looked to be a little taller than Jha, but a similar, athletic build.  Cho, a lefty, played with big swings on both sides but his shots came out a little rounder than Jha – with both backhand and forehand hitting aggressive shots with heavy top. Jha played today with greater variation, and sometimes opted for flatter shots – especially on his backhand side.  Jha’s serves were a real weapon today as well, sometimes winning points directly – keeping Cho uncomfortable as he tried to move further and further across the table to play backhand flip returns.

With the score tied 1-1, Jha launched a near perfect pair of games, an 11-2 / 11-2 tear, giving him a massive lead.  The two players then closed out the match as it had started, trading close games – giving Jha a 4-2 win and a sending him into the Round of 32.

____________

Amy Wang played her first match of the Games yesterday afternoon.  Her Round of 64 win was a 4-0 win over Priscilla Tommy of Vanuatu.  Wang was in control from the start, winning 11-7, 11-8, 11-9, and 11-5.  USA’s Lily Zhang will have her first match today at 2p as she plays Mariana Sahakian.

Some of the other regional players in action today:  Eugene Wang (Canada) fell to Shunsuke Togami 0-4, and Puerto Rico’s Daniel Gonzalez lost 1-4 to Korea’s Jang Woojin.  Mo Zhang, Brian Afanador, and Edward Ly all play later today.

___________

In the US, NBC will be providing broadcasts of the Summer Olympic Games through their various NBCUniversal networks.  That coverage includes the main broadcast on the NBC network as well as other broadcasts on NBC Sports Peacock, NBCSN, and streaming coverage at www.nbcolympics.com.  You can jump straight to our sport to see all of the coverage options by going directly to the schedule link at nbcolympics.com.

ButterflyOnline.com will continue to provide updates of TeamUSA throughout the Games.

Latest News

Jessie Xu Named 2025 Table Tennis Canada Athlete of the Year

May 20, 2025
(by Bowmar Sports) Recognizing Leadership, Excellence, and Sportsmanship On and Off the Table Bowmar is proud to celebrate the… Read More

World Championships Update: Jarvis Powers Through to Round of 32

May 20, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) A few surprises in the early rounds of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals… Read More

Apply Finger Pressure With Your Thumb!

May 19, 2025
Backhand block (regular block and no spin block) – robot plays very spinny shots deep SET TO RING… Read More

Bowmar Sports Tournament Highlights – Kef Noorani Tournament Highlights

May 19, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) Bowmar Sports Tournament Highlights, Kef Noorani https://youtu.be/68Or5s_S2yg Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment,… Read More

Learn from Students of the Game, Crafty Veterans, and Hedgehogs

May 19, 2025
(By Larry Hodges) You should always be learning in table tennis, or in any serious activity. I’m always… Read More

WAB CLUB FEATURE: Atlanta International Table Tennis Academy

May 18, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) With their location just North of Atlanta in Suwanee, Atlanta International Table Tennis Academy has… Read More

MLTT Team Feature: East Division Expansion Team the Atlanta Blazers

May 18, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) continues to grow, and the Atlanta Blazers are one of… Read More

Early Action Underway in Doha

May 18, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin had 4-0 wins as all of the top seeds advanced… Read More
View All News

Get the latest from Butterfly

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.