Lyn Shidong, just 17, faced off against Christian Carlson in a match that got far more chaotic and entertaining than expected. Carlson opened strong but couldn’t maintain control, especially after a bizarre trick shot sequence. At 4–3 in the first game, Carlson hit the net and then tossed his paddle in frustration. Somehow, the return struck his thrown paddle perfectly. The point didn’t count, but it was an unreal moment. Late in the same game, Shidong trailed 10–7 but rallied back, eventually winning the opener 12–10 and drawing a yellow card from Carlson, who spiked his paddle again.
The second game brought more theatrics. Carlson, clearly frustrated and trailing, blew on his paddle for luck and nearly pulled off another accidental trick. He flubbed a backhand but recovered with a quick forehand swing that landed unexpectedly, fooling everyone, including the umpire, who had already started logging the miss. Both players were confused but laughed it off. Despite Carlson’s unintentional highlight reel, Lyn kept his composure. His backhand was sharp and controlled the tempo, looking like it was sped up in editing. He took the second game and eventually the third, coming back from another 10–7 deficit to close things out.
Carlson’s frustration led to two of the more memorable moments in recent table tennis, one legal and one not. But it was Lyn Shidong’s calm play that earned the win.