Gold rush for China at World Table Tennis Championships
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China's Sun Yingsha en route to her women's singles semi-final victory over Japan's Hina Hayata at the World Table Tennis Championships on May 27.
PHOTO: AFP
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DURBAN – China stamped its dominance at the World Table Tennis Championships by reclaiming the men’s doubles title on Saturday, which followed Friday’s mixed doubles triumph.
With Chinese victories also assured in both the men’s and women’s singles finals – which will be all-China affairs – the table tennis giants have already equalled their four-gold performance at the last world championships in Houston two years ago.
Mixed doubles duo Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha started the gold rush by retaining their title on Friday. In a repeat of the 2021 final, the top-ranked Chinese pair overwhelmed world No. 2 Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata of Japan 11-6, 11-2, 11-7. “We had encountered some challenges in previous matches here but, today, we encouraged each other on the court to win,” said Sun.
Wang then paired up with Fan Zhendong on Saturday to defeat South Korea’s Jang Woo-jin and Lim Jong-hoon 13-11, 11-6, 11-5 and regain the men’s doubles title – the only crown to elude China in 2021.
Fan then met compatriot Liang Jingkun in the men’s singles semi-finals, while Wang faced off against Olympic champion Ma Long. The results were not available at press time, but another gold was already guaranteed for China.
It was the same story in the women’s singles, with Sun booking her place in the final against compatriot and Olympic champion Chen Meng after crushing Hayata 11-4, 11-5, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8 in the semi-finals.
Hayata had made history by becoming only the second Japanese player to reach the last four of the women’s singles since 1969, but Sun proved a class above even though Hayata became the first player to take a game off the world No. 1 in South Africa.
Despite her perfect record ending, Sun said: “It is normal for me to lose a set... I expected myself to fall behind at first or play the full seven sets. Tomorrow is the last match, I hope I can show the best version of myself.”
Chen Meng, who came from behind to beat compatriot Chen Xingtong 5-11, 13-11, 14-12, 11-6, 11-7 in the other semi-final, will be eyeing her first world singles title. She had won a bronze in 2021 after losing the 2019 final to Liu Shiwen.
“I was still a little nervous in the first game, too many mistakes, so I lost very quickly,” said Chen Meng.
“The second game, I was 1-6 behind, so I adjusted my mentality... I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s final and, hopefully, I can enjoy it.”
Chen Meng and Wang Yidi later met South Korea’s Jeon Ji-hee and Shin Yu-bin in the women’s doubles final, with the result unavailable at press time. XINHUA
