Kanak Jha, Amy Wang Lead at U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Table Tennis
by Barbara Wei
Singles: Kanak Jha in the men's 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Table Tennis on day three of competition at West Monroe Sports & Events. West Monroe, LA. March 23, 2024. by (Grant Bergmann)
WEST MONROE, La. – Top seeds fought through tough competition Saturday to secure the top spot on day three of competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Table Tennis.
Expectations were high for top seed and two-time Olympian Kanak Jha, who was back in action after 15 months away from competition. In the quarterfinal, he faced Xiang Jing Zhang. The opening games were as close as could be, but Jha pulled out the win, 9, 13, 11, 3, 5 respectively.
In the next round, he overtook Kai Zhang (2632),4-1, and then faced Jishan Liang (2719), who had taken out second seeded Nikhil Kumar (2753) in the semifinals. Jha and Liang went the full distance with Jha winning, 16-14, in the seventh game after saving three match points.
Kanak said he felt “satisfied, but not happy” with his performance.
“The slate wipes clean tomorrow,” Jha said.
Amy Wang dominated play on the women’s side. She won, 4-0, against Hannah Song (2167), the dark horse from day two of competition. Wang also won, 4-1, against her doubles partner and college roommate Rachel Sung.
In the final, Wang was all business with a 4-0 win against Sally Moyland. Wang, the two-time U.S. National champion, said she looks forward to the last day of competition.
The top eight players for both men and women will play another knockout competition on Sunday. The top two players with the best finish in the women’s event will qualify to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The top two men will continue on their Paris 2024 qualification journey at the ITTF Americas Qualification Event in Lima, Peru in May.