Shin Yu-bin Reaches Women’s Singles Semifinals in Table Tennis

PARIS — Shin Yu-bin advanced to the semifinals of the women's singles table tennis tournament at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, positioning herself one win away from securing her second medal in the French capital.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Shin, world No. 8, narrowly defeated 13th-ranked Miu Hirano of Japan 4-3 (11-4, 11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 8-11, 9-11, 13-11) in the quarterfinals at South Paris Arena 4. Shin, who previously won the mixed doubles bronze medal on Tuesday, will next face world No. 4 Chen Meng from China in the semifinals on Friday. South Korea has not won a medal in women's singles since Kim Kyung-ah's bronze in 2004.

Shin dominated the early stages against Hirano, winning the first three games with relative ease. She won seven consecutive points to secure an 11-4 win in the opening game and never trailed in the second game, which she won 11-7. Hirano struggled initially but rebounded by winning the fourth and fifth games 11-7 and 11-8, respectively. Hirano then won the sixth game 11-9, with Shin encountering difficulties with her backhand.

In the deciding game, Shin overcame a match point at 10-9, taking a 12-11 lead when Hirano sent her return long, and clinched the 80-minute match by forcing Hirano to hit into the net. Both players were in tears afterward, with Shin expressing relief that the match was over. Shin admitted fatigue late in the match but emphasized the need to be aggressive in the final game.

Shin's victory places her in contention to end South Korea's long medal drought in singles table tennis. She can achieve this by either defeating Chen, a two-time gold medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, or by securing a win in the bronze medal match. Shin, unaware that she was the first South Korean singles player to reach an Olympic semifinal in 20 years, expressed her focus on taking one match at a time and her determination to prepare well for the next opponent.

Earlier on Thursday, Jang Woo-jin was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the men's singles, losing to Brazilian Hugo Calderano 4-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6). Jang, world No. 13, had previously lost to Calderano in the round of 16 at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and has only one victory in six meetings against him. South Korea has not medaled in men's singles since Ryu Seung-min won gold in 2004. Jang struggled with Calderano's strong backhand and forehand, losing the first game in just five minutes and failing to recover in subsequent games.