Table Tennis: China Poised to Dominate Titles at WTT Singapore Smash
Click to start listening
Synopsis
China has dominated the WTT Singapore Smash, winning five titles including both men's and women's doubles. The singles finals will see fierce competition among top Chinese players.
Key Takeaways
- China won five titles at the WTT Singapore Smash.
- Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong excelled in men's doubles.
- Lin Shidong reached the men's singles final.
- Kuai Man continued her strong performance in women’s singles.
- The tournament concludes with singles champions determined on Sunday.
Singapore, Feb 8 (NationPress) China has clinched five titles available at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash. This remarkable feat was achieved as Chinese players excelled in both the men's and women's doubles finals, securing their spots in the men's and women's singles finals on Saturday.
In their inaugural WTT event together, Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong demonstrated outstanding teamwork, defeating the Chinese Taipei duo of Lin Yun-ju and Kao Cheng-jui in straight sets with scores of 11-2, 11-4, and 13-11.
Lin Shidong also progressed to the men's singles final after a straight-game win over French player Alexis Lebrun, as reported by Xinhua. Lin expressed that the score exceeded his expectations. "He had some high-quality strokes and varied serves. I maintained focus throughout the match, and when he started to recover, I adapted my play and secured the win," the second-seeded Lin explained.
In another thrilling match, Liang Jingkun edged out top seed Wang in a full seven-game contest, sealing victory with a narrow 12-10 win in the final game. "Both of us performed well today. I executed my rallies and initial strokes effectively," said Liang, who was the runner-up in last year's Singapore Smash. "I will give my all tomorrow, aiming to achieve a better result," he added.
In the women's singles semifinals, Kuai Man, who recently celebrated her 21st birthday and won a mixed doubles title with Lin Shidong, maintained her strong performance by defeating teammate Chen Xingtong with a score of 4-2. The other semifinal featured two Chinese players, with world No. 1 Sun Yingsha triumphing over Wang Yidi in a closely contested match, ultimately winning the decisive game 12-10.
In the women's doubles final, Wang Manyu and Kuai narrowly defeated Sun and Wang with a score of 3-2, marking Kuai's second title in the tournament following her mixed doubles victory.
As the opening WTT Grand Smash event of 2025, the Singapore Smash will determine the champions in both men's and women's singles on Sunday. This premier WTT Series event has brought the world's top table tennis athletes to the Singapore Sports Hub for an exhilarating display of table tennis.
The singles champion will receive a prize of USD 75,000 and 2000 points, while the runner-up will take home USD 35,500. Semifinalists will earn USD 17,500 each, along with 700 points. In the doubles category, the winners will receive USD 8,000 while the runners-up will gain USD 4,250.
