SINGAPORE - Lin Yun-ju answers most questions about his remarkable season with a shy grin and a softly-uttered "I don't know", but the 18-year-old certainly knows how to win.
The Chinese Taipei paddler, in his second year of competing on the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) senior circuit, has let his bat do the talking.
He beat Olympic and world champion Ma Long and men's world No. 1 Fan Zhendong en route to winning the Seamaster T2 Diamond Malaysia in July and a month later, won his first ITTF World Tour men's singles title at the Czech Open.
The left-handed Lin, now ranked 10th in the world, told The Straits Times on Wednesday (Nov 20): "I've improved on my mental game this year and when I'm competing on court, I can adapt better."
He is here for the Seamaster T2 Diamond Singapore, which is the second and final stop of the T2 Diamond Table Tennis League. He even skipped the pre-tournament press conference at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport so that he could focus on training.
He feels he has not improved much of the technical aspects of his game but, when reminded of the scalps he has claimed this year, the teenager quipped: "My luck has been good."
Lin is still getting used to receiving more attention from the media and those in the table tennis fraternity, though he said: "At first I felt more pressure, but I don't think so much about it. I slowly adjusted (to the increased scrutiny) and just let it be."
German Patrick Franziska, who has never played against Lin in singles but beat the latter in men's doubles at the ITTF World Tour Platinum China Open in May, told ST: "He takes the ball very early and he doesn't give you much time. And already for his young age, he is playing quite smart and he's a clever player.
"He actually has everything needed to be a top player."
While he is no doubt aiming for a second T2 title at the Nov 21-24 tournament at Our Tampines Hub, Lin's immediate focus is on his opening match on Friday against South Korean Jang Woo-jin, whom he lost to at the ITTF Team World Cup in Japan this month.
It was the pair's first meeting and Lin has been anticipating their re-match. He arrived in Singapore on Monday night and practised for about three hours the next day, after which he spent the rest of the day analysing his opponent's game.
"I'll analyse more tonight and tomorrow - I have to strengthen my return of serve," he added.
"My target for now is to play my first match well."
World No. 16 Franziska's goal is the same - the 27-year-old opens his campaign against South Korean Lee Sang-su and will next face Lin if both men win.
"Hopefully this match will come... every point counts (in this format) so you try to be extra focused and not give a single point away, that's my main goal," said Franziska.
The format of the T2 Diamond sees games played on a first-to-11 format with no deuce and a 25-minute clock.
The Singapore stop offers a combined prize purse of US$500,000 (S$680,000) and ITTF ranking points. The women's field here will be led by world No. 1 Chen Meng, T2 Diamond Malaysia winner Zhu Yuling and Olympic bronze medallist Mima Ito of Japan, who at No. 7 is the highest-ranked non-Chinese female player.
T2 chief executive officer and commissioner Jeff Chue said: "The confirmation of entries by the world's best players is a testament to our tournament's unique proposition and the belief that T2 Diamond is leading the way for innovation in table tennis."
