Wang Nan Becomes New Chinese Table Tennis Queen

Wang Nan Becomes New Chinese Table Tennis Queen

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In an clash between the world's top two female table tennis players, China's Olympic gold medalist and former world champion Wang Nan of Liaoning Province came from two sets down to beat Beijing's Zhang Yining for the singles title here on Friday at the on-going 9th National Games.

And, cheered on by a partisan crowd in the arena, Ma Lin and Liu Guozheng of Guangdong Province were stretched to five sets before winning over a Beijing duet and their national teammates Gao Wei and Liu Heng for the men's doubles crown.

Zhang, a 19-year-old world number two who came into the limelight with six straight wins at the 1997 National Games, gave her best shot to win the first two sets 21-15, 21-16.

But the more experienced Wang won three sets in a row, 21-16, 21-13 and 21-5, for the the title.

Zhang and Wang won their final berths with victories over world number 10 Lin Ling of Fujian and 9th-ranked Yang Ying from Jiangsu.

Former world and Olympic champion Deng Yaping was the winner at two previous Games.

Wang, 23 as the reigning Olympic singles and doubles champion, also won the 1997 World Cup. She had been on China's winning women's team each time at the three previous world championships. Her experience and famed loop smashes saved her from a failure to the Beijing teenager.

Wang had lost to Zhang in the earlier team's final, which was eventually won by Beijing. The world number one found it hard to have an easy upper hand over her baby-faced opponent.

Zhang, however, showed why she was taken as one of the world's best defenders and her ability for long rallies much bothered Wang.

World number four Li Ju, Olympic doubles gold medalist, singles runner-up and former world doubles champion, was eliminated in the women's singles earlier rounds.

Third-ranked Ma, winner of last year's World Cup meet, was one of the quickest Chinese players to be used to the larger ball. Liu, ranked second in the world, was the hero of the Chinese team which regained the men's team title at this year's world championships in Osaka. Ma was also in the triumphant Chinese squad in Osaka.

Defending National Games and reigning world champions Qin Zhijian and Yang Ying of Jiangsu Province won the mixed doubles event on Thursday.