Gao Chengrui advanced to the top 16 of the 2025 WTT Ljubljana Star Challenge, setting up a match against Calderano.

On the 20th local time, after losing their previous two encounters, Taiwanese table tennis player Gao Chengrui defeated Hong Kong's renowned player Wong Chun Ting with scores of 11:6, 11:6, and 13:11 at the 2025 WTT Ljubljana Star Challenge, breaking his two-match losing streak and securing a spot in the men's singles top 16.

Taiwanese table tennis player Gao Chengrui

Ranked 23rd in the world, Gao Chengrui had previously struggled against Wong Chun Ting, especially during their first encounter in 2023, where he narrowly missed victory by just one point. Now, "Student Pomelo" has continued to evolve and finally triumphed over Wong Chun Ting, the bronze medalist in men's singles at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

In this match against the experienced Wong Chun Ting, Gao Chengrui quickly took the lead in the first game, not only establishing an impressive momentum with a score of 5:1 but also maintaining his advantage to win the first game. In the second game, he surged from a 4:4 tie to score six points in a row, winning two games in a row.

Wong Chun Ting, ranked 42nd in the world, has accumulated medals in the World Cup, Asian Championships, and Asian Games in his career. He regained competitiveness in the third game, putting Gao Chengrui in a tough battle. However, Gao Chengrui did not let victory slip away again, using two powerful forehand attacks at 11:11 to ultimately defeat his strong opponent in straight sets. Gao Chengrui's opponent in the top 16 is expected to be the tournament's top seed, Brazil's Calderano, who is ranked third in the world.