At the Singapore Smash women’s singles Round of 32, He Zhuojia battled fiercely against Hina Hayata but ultimately fell 2–3, narrowly missing a spot in the Round of 16

In Game 1, He adopted an aggressive close-to-the-table position, using pace and sharp placement to seize a 3–1 lead. She maintained control through mid-game at 7–4. Although hesitation allowed Hayata to level at 7–7, He stood her ground at deuce and capitalized on errors to secure a hard-fought 12–10 win.

Game 2 followed a similar script early on. He’s speed and placement forced rushed errors, earning a 4–0 advantage. However, momentum shifted as Hayata adjusted her rhythm. Even after a timeout, He couldn’t halt the comeback. At 16–16, deeper positioning and lower forehand quality proved costly, and she dropped the game 16–18.

In Game 3, He returned to her near-table dominance, racing to a 5–1 lead. Despite brief retreats and forehand inconsistencies allowing a 7–7 tie, she regained initiative with proactive attacks, taking the game 11–7.

Game 4 saw Hayata pressing and committing unforced errors, giving He a 3–1 edge. Yet missed opportunities in the opening exchanges and cautious shot selection allowed the score to level at 4–4. From 6–6 onward, Hayata reduced mistakes while He hesitated on key attacks, eventually losing 7–11 and forcing a decider.

The final game was intensely competitive, tied at 7–7. In crucial moments, He appeared slightly conservative, and execution quality dipped, resulting in a 7–10 deficit. She fought back to 10–10 as Hayata also tightened up. At 11–11, however, marginally lower shot quality and a surprise long serve from Hayata tipped the balance, ending 11–13.

He Zhuojia demonstrated impressive speed and tactical discipline throughout, but decisive-point assertiveness and forehand quality ultimately made the difference. A narrow defeat — yet one that highlights both promise and areas for growth.