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SINGAPORE: The Singapore table tennis team brought an already memorable year to an end in style yesterday by winning both the men and women’s doubles competitions in the Volkswagen Pro-Tour Grand Finals in Macau.
It was the first time the Republic struck gold in the competition since it began in 1996, and just months after Li, Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu ended Singapore’s 48-year wait for only its second Olympic medal when they won silver in the women’s team event in August’s Beijing Games.
In the women’s competition, Li Jiawei and Sun Bei Bei overcame South Korean pair Kim Kyung Ah and Park Mi Young 4-1, while Gao Ning and Yang Zi defeated Taiwan’s Chuang Chih-Yuan and Wu Chih-Chi 4-2 to take the men’s doubles title in Macau.
For Li and Sun, their win yesterday was especially sweet as it was their first over their nemeses Kim and Park.
“Today was superb,” said Li. “Although they had caused us some problems in the second and third games, we mastered them at last and it was flawless after that.”
Li and Sun, the top seeds with China opting out of the doubles competitions, took the first game 11-5. But the Koreans’ deadly defensive back spins caused the Singaporeans all sorts of problems in the second game, taking it 11-6.
With the Koreans ahead in the third and threatening to take the lead, Li and Sun rallied to take the game 11-9 before closing out their final match 11-8 and 11-4.
“It is really fantastic to finally win against Kim and Park,” said Sun. “Without China participating in the doubles competition, it was our real chance at winning gold.”
It was a slightly tougher affair for Singapore’s Gao Ning and Yang Zi in the men’s doubles finals later in the evening.
The Singaporeans marched through the first game, trampling over Chuang and Wu 11-2. But the Taiwanese pair came back strongly to take the next game11-9.
They took the lead in a hard-fought third game, winning 17-15, but they fell flat in the fourth game and could only watch Gao and Yang level the tie with a 11-1victory.
The Singaporeans then finished the remaining games 14-12 and 11-7 to take the final 4-2.
While last year’s Sportsman of the Year Gao was the pillar of the pair in their previous matches, it was Yang who stepped up in Macau to cover for his team-mate, who made several unforced errors.
“I was just not used to the new glue on the rubber of my bat,” said Gao.
“But I’m glad Yang was in form today. It is fantastic to win this time after finishing runner-up several times in the Pro-Tour this year.”
Earlier yesterday, Singapore’s Wang Yuegu and Feng Tianwei both failed to make the women’s singles final, going down to Chinese opponents in their respective semi-final matches.
Eventual winner Guo Yan beat Wang 4-1 (11-8, 12-10, 10-12, 11-8, 11-8) while reigning world champion Guo Yue despatched Feng by a similar scoreline (11-8, 11-4, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9).
In the final, Guo Yan beat Guo Yue 4-2 (13-11, 9-11, 15-13, 11-5, 12-14, 11-8).
China’s Ma Long won the men’s singles final when he beat compatriot Wang Hao 4-0 (13-11,11-9,11-9,11-5).
- AFP/yb
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