WTT Singapore Smash: All-China singles finals see world No.1s triumph
Fan Zhendong and Sun Yingsha underlined their supremacies with convincing wins at OCBC Arena
SINGAPORE — China's Fan Zhendong and Sun Yingsha underlined their supremacies as world No.1 paddlers, winning the men's and women's singles titles respectively at the WTT Singapore Smash tournament at OCBC Arena on Sunday (19 March).
Fan, 26, retained the men's singles title with an 11-5, 13-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9 victory over compatriot and long-time rival Ma Long, while 22-year-old Sun registered her 16th consecutive singles victory in all competitions with a 11-7, 10-12, 13-11, 11-6, 11-7 win over compatriot Qian Tianyi.
Sun thus won her first Singapore Smash women's singles title, adding it to her women's doubles title won with Wang Manyu on Saturday as well as the mixed doubles title with Wang Chuqin on Thursday.
"Overall I’m very happy with my performance for this event. It’s the first time I’ve won all three titles and it’s a validation for myself," she said after her singles win.
"Having played in all three categories for this event, I feel that I’ve dealt with it well. I was not too tired, even towards the tail end of the event, and was able to perform well. It is important for me to prepare my body to deal with all the competitions and events that come my way and I will continue to do my best.”
As for the normally stoic Fan, he had a rare show of emotions after his singles win over Ma, pumping his fists after regaining his winning form after a less-than-ideal start to the new season.
"There were a few occasions today where I was lagging mid-game but I didn’t give up and ended up winning the games," he said.
"The challenges were there but the reward is huge. Tonight is not just about winning the title but also a huge confidence boost for me.”
On the event sidelines, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and Sport Singapore (SportSG) have signed a memorandum of understanding to kickstart discussions for the world's first "Home of Table Tennis" hub in the city-state to raise the profile of the sport within the Singapore and the region.
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