Top seeds Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu of China battled through five games to edge Miwa Harimoto and Satsuki Odo of Japan 9-11, 13-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-2 to win the women’s doubles title at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Europe Smash in Malmo, Sweden, on Saturday.
The Chinese duo were not in their best form early in the match, squandering a 9-8 lead in the first game after conceding three straight points. They bounced back in the second with a 5-1 start and soon extended their edge to 10-6. Although the Japanese pair saved five game points, Sun and Wang finally prevailed 13-11 to level the match at 1-1.
The top-seeded team maintained their momentum in the third game, scoring six consecutive points after trailing 2-1, en route to claiming the frame 11-8. The fourth game featured multiple twists and turns after Harimoto and Odo jumped out to a 5-2 lead, but then allowed six points in a row. The Japanese duo then scored five straight points to regain the advantage before clinching the game 13-11 and forcing a decider.
Sun and Wang completely dominated the fifth game as they cruised to a quick 11-2 win to secure the 3-2 victory, adding a second title for their country at the inaugural edition of this event, after Lin Shidong and Kuai Man topped the podium in mixed doubles on Friday.
Sun and Wang will face each other on Sunday for the women’s singles title after the top two players in the world rankings both advanced out of all-Chinese semifinals.
Sun’s opponent was China’s biggest surprise Chen Yi. The World No. 1 took the first two games 11-2 and 11-3. Chen then pulled back the third 11-3, before Sun slammed the door 11-7 and 11-9 to reach the final.
In the other last-four clash, Wang swept past Shi Xunyao 11-7, 12-10, 11-3, 11-7 to set up a tantalizing tussle with her doubles partner for the top individual prize.
China remains in the running for the men’s singles championship as well, after top seed Lin Shidong edged Simon Gauzy of France in seven games.
World No. 1 Lin took the opener 11-4, but then dropped three in a row 11-7, 11-9 and 11-5, falling into a desperate situation. But the 20-year-old rallied to snatch three consecutive games 11-8, 11-9 and 11-7, completing an epic comeback to advance to the final where Swedish sixth seed Truls Moregard awaits.
The men’s doubles competition wrapped up with sixth-seeded Wong Chun Ting and Chan Ho Wah of the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) defeating third-seeded Lin and Huang Youzheng of China in five games 7-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8 to win the title.
