China set to sweep titles at WTT Singapore Smash

SINGAPORE, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- China has secured five titles on offer at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash.

The achievement was made as Chinese paddlers triumphed in the men's and women's doubles finals, and sealed all spots in the men's and women's singles title matches on Saturday.

Competing at their first WTT event as a pair, Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong showed no signs of unfamiliarity, outclassing the Chinese Taipei pair Lin Yun-ju and Kao Cheng-jui in straight games by 11-2, 11-4, 13-11.

Lin Shidong also reached the men's singles final with a straight-game victory over Frenchman Alexis Lebrun.

Lin admitted the scoreline has gone beyond his expectations. "He had some high-quality strokes and many changes on his serves. I just stayed focused throughout the game, and when he got back into contention, I managed to win the match through some changes and placement," explained the second-seeded Lin.

Another Chinese paddler Liang Jingkun squeezed past top seed Wang in full games, rounding out the match 12-10 in the seventh game.

"Both of us played well today. I did a good job on rallies and first three strokes," said Liang, who finished runner-up at last year's Singapore Smash.

"I will go all out tomorrow, and hopefully go a step further," he added.

In the women's singles semifinals, Kuai Man, who celebrated her 21st birthday on Friday with a mixed doubles title alongside Lin Shidong, continued her in-form play in the tournament, overpowering teammate Chen Xingtong 4-2.

The other semifinal was also played between two Chinese players, with world No. 1 Sun Yingsha going the full distance to outlast Wang Yidi, with the score of the deciding game at 12-10.

In the women's doubles final, Wang Manyu and Kuai edged Sun and Wang 3-2, earning Kuai her second title in the tournament after mixed doubles.

As the first WTT Grand Smash tournament of 2025, the Singapore Smash will witness men's and women's singles champions determined on Sunday. ■