South Korean duo stages thrilling comeback to defeat China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha in five-game final at the WTT United States Smash.
South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin captured their maiden WTT Grand Smash mixed doubles title after defeating China’s formidable pair Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha in a gripping five-game final at the WTT United States Smash on Friday.
The South Korean top seeds produced an impressive comeback to secure a 3-2 victory, adding another milestone to their growing partnership. The triumph marked their first mixed doubles championship at a WTT Grand Smash event and reinforced their status as one of the strongest pairs on the international table tennis circuit.
Lim and Shin made a confident start by taking the opening game 11-9. However, the Chinese duo responded strongly, claiming the next two games 11-6 and 11-7 to move within one game of the title. Facing defeat, the South Koreans displayed remarkable composure and resilience, winning the fourth game 11-7 before sealing the decider 11-8 to complete a memorable turnaround.
The latest victory also extended Lim and Shin’s success against Wang and Sun, having previously defeated the Olympic champions in straight games to win the mixed doubles crown at the WTT Finals last year.
In the women’s singles competition, world No. 1 Sun Yingsha bounced back from the doubles disappointment by advancing to the quarterfinals with a commanding 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 victory over Egypt’s Dina Meshref.
Following her convincing win, Sun praised her opponent’s overall performance throughout the tournament, stating that despite the one-sided scoreline, Meshref had competed impressively. She added that her focus remained on fighting for every point regardless of the situation.
China also enjoyed success elsewhere in the women’s singles draw, with Chen Xingtong and Wang Yidi booking their places in the last eight after winning their respective matches.
In the men’s doubles event, China guaranteed itself the championship as Wen Ruibo and Yuan Licen progressed to the final, where they will face compatriots Lin Shidong and Huang Youzheng. Both Chinese pairs advanced after recording straight-game victories in their semifinal encounters.
Meanwhile, the men’s singles competition produced major surprises. Japan’s second seed Tomokazu Harimoto suffered a shock 3-0 defeat to Russia’s Vladimir Sidorenko, while Hiroto Shinozuka upset Brazil’s Hugo Calderano 3-1 to secure a place in the quarterfinals.