Gao advances in women's table tennis

Jun Gao of Gaithersburg, Md., defeated Japan's Sayaka Hirano, 4-1, on Wednesday to advance to the fourth round in the Olympic table tennis competition.

“It was the first time we’ve played each other, so I just wanted to get out there and fight,” Gao said after the match against Hirano, a three-time World Team Championships bronze medalist.

Gao won the first game, 14-12, as well as the second (11-1), but Hirano won the third game, 12-10.  “I was too relaxed," Gao told USA Table Tennis after the match ended. "I hit down the line three times in the third game and kept missing, otherwise I would have won that one."

Gao won the fourth game, 11-7, and held on to win the fifth, 14-12.

“She played wonderfully,” said U.S. Coach Doru Gheorge. "The Japanese player is really tough, and every game gets harder and harder, but I knew she could do it.”

Gao will play the Dominican Republic's Xue Wu during the fourth round of competition on Thursday. Gao has beaten Xue in two of their three previous meetings.

-- Greg Johnson

Photo: U.S. athlete Jun Gao plays during a third-round women's singles table tennis match on Wednesday. Credit: Silvia Izquierdo / Associated Press