Sun Yingsha was eliminated from the WTT China Grand Smash in the women's singles round of 32, losing to Thailand's Orawan Paranang, according to 上观新闻. The result was reported as an upset at the tournament.
Sun said afterward that she had a slight fever the previous night and that the Asian Games had taken a lot out of her, 凤凰网 reported. She told fans not to worry too much about her, 新浪新闻 reported.
Paranang described the win as the best of her career, saying she focused on herself and enjoyed the match, according to 搜狐网.
The same tournament also saw China's mixed doubles pair miss out on the title, 新华网 reported.
Sun's exit and the mixed doubles result came as China's team was managing player workloads after the Asian Games. Sun pointed to the fever and the toll of that competition as factors in her loss, rather than treating the defeat as a longer-term concern. Her message to supporters was to keep the result in perspective.
Paranang's account of the match stressed her own approach over any weakness in her opponent, framing the victory as a personal breakthrough.
What to watch next: how Sun recovers physically and performs in her next WTT event, and whether Paranang can build on the biggest result of her career.
