Grand Slam winner Ma Long from China beat compatriot Fan Zhendong to win a record-extending sixth ITTF Finals men's singles title on Sunday.

Ma was also the winner of the year-end competition in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2016.

"The record is used to be broken, and I'm honored and lucky that one is me," said Ma. "It is a well deserved and special championship for me."

It was the third straight encounter in the final between the Chinese duo in just over a month, after the National Championships and the World Cup, where Fan both came out as the winner after seven-game thrillers.

It was clear that Ma didn't want to repeat his recent inferior head-to-head record to Fan. The Chinese men's team captain met strong resistance early on but soon hit good form and pocketed the first two games at 13-11 and 11-7.

Fan began to come back into contention by adjusting his strategy, turning a 4-8 deficit into a 10-8 advantage. However, Ma saved two game points before winning 12-10, leaving little room for Fan's rally.

Fan went ahead 9-6 in the fourth game and held two game points again at 10-8. This time, the world No. 1 paddler didn't waste them, pulling one game back with 11-9.

Ma didn't concede his superiority from there, converting his second match point at 11-8 after Fan had a backhand return into the net.

"The process was not as the result reflected," admitted Ma. "The score was not so close as that at the World Cup, as we restrained each other quite well. I had better control over some crucial points today."

Chinese paddler Chen Meng became the first player ever to win four ITTF Finals titles in a row after beating compatriot Wang Manyu in the women's singles final on Sunday.

Just as she did one year ago, Chen secured her record-breaking title in five games. The current world No. 1 tied the record set by Zhang Yining for the most Finals titles overall.

The latest title was an excellent reflection of Chen's peak form in recent days following her first major singles championship at the World Cup in east China's Weihai.

"So far it was a perfect result for me in these two events. Hopefully I can do it again in upcoming matches," said Chen.

Possessing a 10-5 advantage in the opening game, Chen saw four game points slip away but held firm to take it 11-9.

It was Wang that had the upper hand early in the second game, but Chen made timely adjustment to turn around a 3-7 deficit with six points in a row. Going neck and neck at the crucial moment, Wang managed a 13-11 victory to level the score at one game apiece.

The flow of the third game was quite similar, as Chen came out from a 12-12 tie by scoring two straight points.

"The first three games were very important. Leading 2-1 boosted my confidence," Chen noted.

The pendulum began to swing to Chen from there. The defending champion showed her cutting edge in long rallies, pushing Wang to the brink of a defeat with 11-8 in the fourth game.

Chen was unstoppable in the fifth game, storming to a 5-0 lead before having the last laugh at 11-5.

"The third game was crucial. After losing it, I could not fit into the rhythm of this match," admitted Wang.

(Cover: Ma Long wins the Men's Singles final and Chen Meng wins the Women's Singles final of 2020 ITTF Finals, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, November 22, 2020. /Source via CFP)

(With inputs from Xinhua News Agency)