On the afternoon of the sixth day of the schedule, the men's singles semi-final featured Lin Yun-ju of the Taiwan provincial team against Yu Ziyang of the Shandong provincial team.
Yu Ziyang had achieved fame at a young age as a former national team player and a close, cross-generational sworn brother to Ma Long. However, he failed to break through later on, eventually becoming sparring partner to his older brother Ma Long. The primary reason was that his playing style was far too unconventional; as soon as he emerged, he was heavily targeted, leading to his gradual fading from the international arena and rare appearances in matches.
Despite keeping a low profile, he remained the top player of the Shandong provincial team, and his competitive level had stayed consistently high over the years.
Chapter 381