Zhang wins duel of world top two at ITTF Pro Tour Finals

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, December 14, 2003

Zhang wins duel of world top two at ITTF Pro Tour Finals

The world's top two women's table tennis players squared off at the semi-finals of the ITTF Pro Tour Finals in Guangzhou on Saturday, with Zhang Yining walking off victorious.

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The world's top two women's table tennis players squared off at the semi-finals of the ITTF Pro Tour Finals in Guangzhou on Saturday, with Zhang Yining walking off victorious.

The world No. 1 Chinese forced the more-crowned teammate Wang Nan to rally time and time again and won the match 4-0 (11-8, 11-7,11-4, 11-7), the result even shocking the winner.

"I didn't expect a straight-set win," said Zhang. "I felt calmthroughout the match partly because I have been topping the world rankings for a while."

Zhang dodged the question of "who is the strongest", instead saying that today's match was a competition of overall skills.

Wang, dual Olympic champion and currently ranked second, admitted she didn't play well while she was forced away from the table to rally.

"Many people expect me to win every match I enter, that's impossible," said Wang.

Zhang's victory was a sweet revenge for her 3-4 loss to Wang inthe world championships in Paris last May.

In the championship final, Zhang came back from 3-0 down to make it 3-3 but fell short in the seventh set.

Two years ago in the Osaka world championships that used 21 points system, Wang overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat Zhang 3-2 in the final.

A Chinese coach said that Zhang and Wang were set to make it tothe 2004 Olympic Games while the third women's singles slot could be contested among Guo Yan, Niu Jianfeng and Guo Yue, ranked thirdto fifth in the world.

In the other all-Chinese semi-final, Niu edged out Guo 4-2 (11-7, 7-11, 11-1, 11-4, 5-11, 11-5).

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