Fang Bo, the former Chinese national table tennis world champion, announced that he has registered for a WTT event and remains confident about his level of play against current star Liang Jingkun. The 34-year-old, who made a comeback in April as a Kazakhstani athlete, shared his thoughts during a live stream.
In April, Fang Bo declared his official return to competitive table tennis, competing under the flag of Kazakhstan, which sparked widespread discussion. During a recent live broadcast, he revealed that he has signed up for the WTT Zagreb event. However, since he has no current world ranking, he will need a wildcard to enter. “I’m not sure if I’ll make it in yet,” he said, adding that he has fully studied the WTT registration rules, match formats, and potential opponents. “I’m ready for everything.”
When a viewer asked how he would fare against Liang Jingkun, Fang Bo replied bluntly: “I’d say it’s 50-50. What, you’re laughing? I’m not being cocky. Once we’re on the court, before the match starts, it’s always 50-50, right?”
Referring to Liang Jingkun’s dramatic comebacks at the World Championships, including two 0-2 deficits turned into 3-2 wins, Fang Bo said: “If we play best-of-three, I’d try to finish him in the first two games, 2-0. No third game. Liang is terrifying in the last three games. We’ve faced each other before. Ask him how I used to play against him.”
Fang Bo recalled: “I had the upper hand over Liang Jingkun for years. When did he finally beat me? The 2018 National Championships. After that, it became tough. But before 2018, I dominated him. Now, if I run into him, my heart might skip a beat, but I’ll still take him down.”
