Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin win Asian Games mixed doubles bronze

Quarterfinal Battle Against Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching

Ranked world No. 1 in mixed doubles, Lim Jong-hoon of Korea Exchange and Shin Yu-bin of Korean Air overcame Chinese Taipei’s 10th-ranked pair, Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching, with a 3-2 scoreline (11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 5-11, 12-10). Because Asian Games table tennis rules do not stage a separate third-place playoff, both losing semifinalists are awarded bronze medals, meaning the Korean duo locked down at least a podium finish while continuing their pursuit of the tournament title.

Semifinal Showdown and Historical Context

Lim and Shin advanced to face China’s 6th-ranked pair, Lin Shidong and Kuai Man, in the semifinals. While the Korean pair trails 1-3 in head-to-head meetings against the Chinese duo, they won their most recent encounter. In December of last year, Lim and Shin defeated Lin Shidong and Kuai Man 3-1 in the semifinals of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Hong Kong Finals, where Lin and Kuai held the world No. 1 ranking. Lim and Shin, then ranked world No. 2, subsequently captured the tournament title by defeating China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha in the final.

Nail-Biting Final Set Decides the Match

The quarterfinal clash against Chinese Taipei remained tightly contested throughout. Every time Lim and Shin captured a game, Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching immediately responded to level the score, forcing the match into a decisive fifth game. Lim and Shin opened a 5-2 lead in the final frame behind aggressive play from Lim, but unforced errors allowed the Chinese Taipei pair to claw back and tie the score at 10-10. Maintaining their composure in the deuce, the top-ranked Korean pair executed disciplined rallies as their opponents sent consecutive shots into the net, sealing the 12-10 victory.