Han Ying

{{Infobox table tennis player

| name = Han Ying

| image = Rio 2016 - Women's table tennis quarter finals (29228976252).jpg

| caption = Han Ying at the 2016 Summer Olympics

| nationality = Chinese (1983–2010)
German (since 2010)

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1983|04|29}}

| birth_place = Shenyang, Liaoning, China

| playingstyle = Right-handed, defensive

| equipment =

| hrank = 6 (February 2017){{cite web|url=https://ranking.ittf.com/#/rankings/progress/118762/SEN/W;SINGLES|title=ITTF World Ranking|website=ittf.com|access-date=12 June 2023}}

| crank = 56 (25 March 2025){{cite web|url=https://www.ittf.com/rankings/|title=ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking|website=ittf.com|access-date=19 June 2024}}

| club =

| height = 170 cm{{cite web|url=https://tleague.jp/player/detail.php?player=30039&year=2022|title=ハンイン Han Ying|website=tleague.jp|language=ja|access-date=12 June 2023}}

| weight =

| show-medals =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{GER}} }}

{{MedalGold|2018 Alicante|{{nowrap|Mixed doubles}}}}

}}

Han Ying ({{lang-zh|s=韩莹}}; born 29 April 1983) is a female table tennis player representing Germany since 2010.{{cite news|title=HAN Ying|newspaper=2020 Olympics official website|date=2021|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/table-tennis/athlete-profile-n1321086-han-ying.htm|archiveurl=|archivedate=}} A specialist in defensive chopping, a style in decline ever since the mid-1990s, she is one of a few surviving defensive players active at the ITTF World Tour level as of 2021.

Her most important achievement are the Olympic silver medal in women's team in 2016 and the fourth place in the same event in 2020. Other major awards include the second place in the 2016 World Tour Grand Finals and the fourth place in the 2020 Women's World Cup.

Career

=Childhood training=

Han was born in Shenyang, Liaoning, China. In her childhood, she played as an attacker with little progress. In an effort to qualify for the top team in Shenyang, her father convinced her to switch to a defensive chopper. She plays defensively ever since.

She left China at the age of 19 as her style was losing popularity in China. According to her, the China national table tennis team only had three spots reserved for defenders. These defenders almost have no opportunity to play in international tournaments, instead, they serve as internal training partners for the Chinese attackers.{{cite news|title=Han Ying: Junge Mutter mit Top-Ten-Potenzial|newspaper=German Table Tennis Association's official website|date=2014-03-20|first=Gert|last=Adolphi|url=https://www.tischtennis.de/news/han-ying-junge-mutter-mit-top-ten-potenzial.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728052728/https://www.tischtennis.de/news/han-ying-junge-mutter-mit-top-ten-potenzial.html|archivedate=2021-07-28|language=German}}

=Breakthrough in Germany=

Image:Tamara Czigwincewa 2013.jpg

Han played for the German club Turnverein Busenbach from 2002 to 2005. She transferred to another German club, MTV Tostedt, from 2005 to 2012.

She became a naturalized German citizen in 2010. She made her first breakthrough in March 2011 in the {{ill|German Table Tennis Championship|de|Deutsche Tischtennis-Meisterschaft}}, the most important domestic tournament, which she claimed third in singles and she won the women doubles with Irene Ivancan.{{cite news|title=Profis - Deutsche Meisterschaften in Bamberg, Bild 8 von 43|newspaper=mytischtennis|date=2011-03-06|last=|url=https://www.mytischtennis.de/public/fotos/59/profis-deutsche-meisterschaften-in-bamberg/8|archiveurl=|archivedate=}}{{cite news|title=Irene Ivancan und Han Ying gewinnen Doppeltitel|newspaper=mytischtennis|date=2011|last=|url=https://www.mytischtennis.de/public/National/865/irene-ivancan-und-han-ying-gewinnen-doppeltitel|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309213206/https://www.mytischtennis.de/public/National/865/irene-ivancan-und-han-ying-gewinnen-doppeltitel|archivedate=2011-03-09}} In December 2011 she won the singles in the {{ill|Bundesranglistenturnier|de|Bundesranglistenturnier (Tischtennis)}}, the second most important domestic tournament.{{cite news|title=Steffen Mengel und Han Ying gewinnen Bundesranglistenfinale|newspaper=mytischtennis|date=2011-12-03|last=|url=https://www.mytischtennis.de/public/national/1806/steffen-mengel-und-han-ying-gewinnen-bundesranglistenfinale|archiveurl=|archivedate=}}

She took a break from her career as she gave birth in October 2012.{{cite journal|title=韩莹，在世界杯上削亮全场|last=陈偲婧|last2=边玉翔|journal=Table Tennis World|issue=12|date=2020|page=|location=Beijing|publisher=Chinese Table Tennis Association|url=https://www.sohu.com/a/436556313_580074|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728042611/https://www.sohu.com/a/436556313_580074|archivedate=2021-07-28|language=Chinese}} Since April 2013, she relocated to Düsseldorf and played for the Polish club KTS Tarnobrzeg.{{cite news|title=Han Ying: Würde mich als gebürtige Deutsche auch ärgern|newspaper=myTischtennis |date=2013-11-05|last=|url=https://www.mytischtennis.de/public/buntes/4142/han-ying---quot-wuerde-mich-als-gebuertige-deutsche-auch-aergern-quot|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728062601/https://www.mytischtennis.de/public/buntes/4142/han-ying---quot-wuerde-mich-als-gebuertige-deutsche-auch-aergern-quot|archivedate=2021-07-28|language=German}}{{cite news|title=Han und Duda werden Mitglieder im B-Kader|work=German Table Tennis Association's official website|date=2013-07-24|last=|url=https://www.tischtennis.de/news/han-und-duda-werden-mitglieder-im-b-kader.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728051423/https://www.tischtennis.de/news/han-und-duda-werden-mitglieder-im-b-kader.html|archivedate=2021-07-28|language=German}}

=Major competitions=

File:Rio 2016 - Women's table tennis quarter finals (29337038455).jpg before their singles quarterfinal in the 2016 Olympics.]]

Han debuted in the Olympics at the age of 33. As the fifth seed in the singles in the 2016 Olympics, she was defeated 0–4 in the quarterfinal by Ding Ning, the eventual gold medalist. In the women's team, she helped Germany to defeat Japan in the semifinal before losing to China to claim an Olympic silver medal. In the team semifinal, she lost 2–3 to Kasumi Ishikawa but she recovered to defeat Ai Fukuhara 3–2. In the team final she lost 0–3 to Li Xiaoxia.

In the 2016 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, she claimed the second place by beating Mima Ito 4–2, Miu Hirano 4–0 and losing to Zhu Yuling 0–4.

In the 2020 ITTF Women's World Cup, she claimed the fourth place by beating Cheng I-ching 4–2, losing to Chen Meng 3–4 and losing to Mima Ito 0–4.

In the 2020 Olympics, she reached quarterfinal of the women's singles by beating Feng Tianwei 4–1 and losing to Sun Yingsha 0–4.

Personal life

Han married Yang Lei, a German table tennis player from China, in 2006. In 2012, she gave birth to her daughter. Han and her family currently reside in Düsseldorf.{{cite web|url= http://www.tischtennis.de/aktuelles/meldung/14466|title= Han und Duda werden Mitglieder im B-Kader|newspaper=tischtennis.de|access-date= September 8, 2022|date=2013-07-24|archive-date= July 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728075926/http://www.tischtennis.de/aktuelles/meldung/14466|url-status= dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nw.de/sport/bielefeld/lokalsport_bielefeld/11228268_Brackweder-Gluecksfall.html?em_cnt=11228268|title=Brackweder Glücksfall|author=Von Susanne Heuing|date=2014-08-09|newspaper=nw.de|access-date=2022-09-08}}

Finals

=Women's singles=

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:small;"

!Result

!class="unsortable" |Year

!Tournament

!Opponent

!Score

!class="unsortable" |Ref

style="background: #98fb98;"|Winner

|2014

|ITTF World Tour, Korea Open

|{{flagicon|SGP}} Feng Tianwei

|4–0

|{{cite web|url=https://results.ittf.link/index.php?option=com_fabrik&view=list&listid=39&Itemid=257|title=Finals|website=ittf.com|access-date=17 June 2023}}

style="background: #ffa07a;"|Runner-up

|2015

|ITTF World Tour, Qatar Open

|{{flagicon|ROU}} Elizabeta Samara

|0–4

style="background: #98fb98;"|Winner

|2015

|ITTF World Tour, Austrian Open

|{{flagicon|TPE}} Cheng I-ching

|4–0

style="background: #ffa07a;"|Runner-up

|2016

|ITTF World Tour Grand Finals

|{{flagicon|CHN}} Zhu Yuling

|0–4

style="background: #ffa07a;"|Runner-up

|2019

|European Games

|{{flagicon|POR}} Fu Yu

|2–4

|{{cite web|url=https://www.ittf.com/2019/06/26/timo-boll-fu-yu-clinch-european-games-titles/|title=Timo Boll and Fu Yu clinch European Games titles|website=ittf.com|date=26 June 2019|access-date=17 June 2023}}

style="background: #98fb98;"|Winner

|2022

|Europe Top-16

|{{flagicon|RUS}} Polina Mikhailova

|4–0

|{{cite web|url=https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/february/semifinals-and-finals-ccb-europe-top-16-cup-in-montreux/|title=Darko JORGIC and HAN Ying clinched titles in Montreux|website=ettu.org|date=27 February 2022|access-date=17 June 2023}}

style="background: #ffa07a;"|Runner-up

|2022

|WTT Star Contender Doha

|{{flagicon|JPN}} Miyuu Kihara

|3–4

|{{cite web|url=https://worldtabletennis.com/eventInfo?subEvt=WSINGLES&selectedTab=Draws&eventId=2533|title=WTT Star Contender Doha 2022|website=worldtabletennis.com|access-date=17 June 2023}}

style="background: #98fb98;"|Winner

|2023

|Europe Top-16

|{{flagicon|AUT}} Sofia Polcanova

|4–1

|{{cite web|url=https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2023/february/top-european-names-in-hunt-for-glory-on-the-final-day-in-montreux/|title=Darko JORGIC and HAN Ying defended their titles in Montreux|website=ettu.org|date=26 February 2023|access-date=17 June 2023}}

style="background: #ffa07a;"|Runner-up

|2023

|WTT Contender Antalya

|{{flagicon|JPN}} Hina Hayata

|0–4

|{{cite web|url=https://worldtabletennis.com/eventInfo?subEvt=WSINGLES&selectedTab=Draws&eventId=2742|title=WTT Contender Antalya 2023|website=worldtabletennis.com|access-date=22 October 2023}}

style="background: #98fb98;"|Winner

|2025

|Europe Top-16

|{{flagicon|ROU}} Elizabeta Samara

|3–2

|{{cite web|url=https://www.ettu.org/follow-the-final-day-of-ccb-europe-top-16-cup-live/|title=Ying HAN and Alexis LEBRUN Crowned Champions in Montreux|website=ettu.org|access-date=25 February 2025}}

=Women's doubles=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:small;"

!Result

!Year

!Tournament

!Partner

!Opponent

!Score

!Ref

style="background: #ffa07a;"|Runner-up

|2014

|ITTF World Tour, Kuwait Open

|Irene Ivancan

|{{flagicon|CHN}} Ding Ning / Zhu Yuling

|0–3

|{{cite web|url=https://results.ittf.link/index.php?option=com_fabrik&view=list&listid=29&Itemid=248|title=Matches|website=ittf.com|access-date=17 June 2023}}

style="background: #ffa07a;"|Runner-up

|2016

|ITTF World Tour, German Open

|Irene Ivancan

|{{flagicon|KOR}} Jeon Ji-hee / Yang Ha-eun

|1–3