Magic and Bird. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Godzilla and King Ghidorah. To be an all-time great, you need great rivals. Not only do worthwhile nemeses inspire you to work harder and elevate your game, but they also constitute a rather indispensable component of competition. For reigning American champion Lily Zhang, ranked 27th in the world, her ascendancy to the world stage has only brought her bigger and better rivals. One such formidable foe is Feng Tianwei, the world #9 from Singapore. On November 9, Lily Zhang pulled off a huge upset at the 2020 ITTF Women's World Cup. In the round of 16, Zhang shocked Feng, four games to two. Inevitably, the two would cross paths again. Feng would only have to wait a few weeks for a rematch, as the two locked horns yesterday at World Table Tennis Macao. This Thanksgiving battle was a one-sided affair, however, as Feng stuffed Zhang in straight sets, (11-5, 11-4, 11-6). Feng would go on to lose to world #1 Chen Meng in the quarterfinals. While neither she nor Zhang would hoist the trophy this time, both will certainly learn and draw motivation from their recent run-ins. As Magic Johnson reminisced about his clashes with Larry Bird, the two legendary competitors motivated each other to greatness. "It made me feel good I was a thorn in his side," said Johnson about Bird. "I’m supposed to be out there and go kick his butt. That’s what my job was, and his job was to kick mine. I didn’t want Larry to like me. He didn’t have to like me. But we both respected each other. "We’re mirrors of each other," reflected Johnson. As Zhang looks in the mirror, she may begin to see herself assume elements of Feng Tianwei, a veteran seven years her senior who was once ranked second in the world. Of course, a true competitor like Lily Zhang will not be content until she bests her rival and reaches #1.

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