Ah, what a difference a week can make. Of course, a week is also perfectly capable of making no difference at all. Which would be the case for our young American champion, hoping for the former? California native Lily Zhang, 24, could retire now and already be guaranteed a USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame induction. Ranked 30th in the world, Zhang has already sewn up her third Olympic appearance. She has won five national championships in women's singles, including the most recent contest in 2019. Later in that banner year, Zhang reached the semifinals of the ITTF World Cup, the best ever finish for any American. After losing the better part of the worst year to COVID-19, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has resumed competition. Players have now gathered from the world over in the secure bio-bubble known as the World Table Tennis (WTT) Middle East Hub in Doha, Qatar for a series of lucrative tournaments. Like all athletes sidelined by the pandemic, Zhang is grateful for the opportunity to compete again. Given the extraordinarily high bar Zhang has set for herself, expectations are exceptionally high for her performance in the international arena. Thus, frustration inevitably ensues when reality fails to reach the lofty standards to which we hold it. One week ago in the first official WTT tournament, the WTT Contender, Zhang faced Kasumi Ishikawa of Japan in the opening round of 32. Ishikawa, a 28-year-old left-handed attacker ranked ninth in the world, claimed the first game in the best-of-five match. Zhang then roared back to pull ahead, 2-1. Zhang was unable to complete the comeback and upset, however, as Ishikawa regrouped to win the last two games. While disappointed, Zhang shook off the loss and began to prepare for the next big-money tournament, this week's WTT Star Contender. While much can change in a week, precious little did for Zhang. Once again, Zhang lost her opening round match, 3-2, to a Japanese opponent in the round of 32. The key difference is not one Zhang will appreciate. This time, she fell not to a more experienced, higher-ranked player like Ishikawa but to 16-year-old Satsuki Odo, ranked a distant #103 in the world. Of course, it would be hypocritical for Zhang to be upset at a 16-year-old upstart, when she herself won her first national championship and qualified for her first Olympics at the same sweet age. Although the last week has dealt Lily Zhang a double dose of disappointment, she will nonetheless benefit from the international experience as she prepares to defend her national championship this July in Las Vegas, itself preparatory to the Olympics. Sure, she could hang it up at any time and still be an all-time great, but you can bet Lily Zhang has plenty more difference-making weeks ahead of her.

More at ITTF