Germany's Han Ying beat Wang Yidi 3-0 in the first round of WTT Champions Frankfurt 2026, winning 11-8, 12-10, 11-4. Tuổi Trẻ reported that the 43-year-old overcame the world No. 5 and third seed to advance from the opening round.
The turning point
Tuổi Trẻ described Han's defensive play and heavily spun chops as a source of difficulty for her opponent. After taking the opening game 11-8, Han recovered from 4-7 down to win the second 12-10. The 11-4 third game settled the contest.
Tuổi Trẻ cited Xinhua as saying it was the players' first meeting at an international tournament. Wang exited in the opening round.
A return after injuries
Born in Shenyang, China, Han moved to Germany in 2002 and later became a German citizen. She won world team bronze in 2022. Han suffered ruptures of both Achilles tendons in separate incidents in 2024 and missed the Paris Olympics, according to Tuổi Trẻ. Her earlier achievements include a women's team silver medal at Rio 2016 and a career-high world ranking of sixth in 2017.
The report also recalls her 4-3 win over Wang Manyu at WTT Champions Doha in January 2026, which took her to a first WTT Champions semi-final. It lists further wins over Chen Yi in Doha and Kuai Man in Macao during the year. In an interview with German outlet RND cited by Tuổi Trẻ, Han identified the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as a goal. Her progress in Frankfurt will depend on the matches still to come.