World Cup bronze gives Feng Tianwei a boost for Tokyo Olympics
Singapore paddler Feng Tianwei's resurgence continued with a third-placed finish at the Women's World Cup in Chengdu, China.
The 33-year-old yesterday beat American qualifier Lily Zhang 11-6, 11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 15-13 in the bronze play-off to equal her best finish in 2008, 2013 and 2016.
Against the world No. 12 who has three Olympic medals, 49th-ranked Zhang had no answer to Feng's ferocious forehands as she raced to a 3-0 lead.
But the 23-year-old American took the fourth game and was up 10-8 in the fifth before the Singaporean staged her own fightback to seal the win on her third match-point after almost 50 minutes.
In the process, she picked up a cheque for US$20,000 (S$27,000).
Feng said: "I'm very satisfied with my performance because I played well and was able to display the level I am at.
"This is my fourth bronze medal, so if there is one thing to be disappointed about, it is just that I would have loved a medal of another colour.
"We have made some tweaks to my game and I feel my form is getting better as we prepare earnestly for the Olympics."
In last night's all-Chinese final, world No. 3 Zhu Yuling was stunned 4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6, 3-11, 11-9 by fifth-ranked Liu Shiwen, who captured her fifth World Cup.Feng has been in fine form of late, having also beaten China's world No. 1 Chen Meng at the German Open earlier this month. Her next tournament will be next month's Austrian Open.
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