World top paddler Fan Zhendong clinched the men's singles gold after defeating world No.13 Lin Gaoyuan 4-2 at the 2022 China National Table Tennis Championships in Huangshi, central China's Hubei Province on Saturday.

Lin led the first game 7-4 before Fan came from behind to win 11-8. The second game got even more heated, as the two paddlers battled from 6-6 to 18-18 before Fan won it 20-18.

Lin clawed back with an overwhelming 11-4 victory in the third game, but Fan regained the lead 3-1. After Lin managed an 11-9 victory in the fifth, Fan hit back to secure his crown with an identical score in the sixth game.

"I was more or less hesitant as the game went on tonight. When it came to the fourth game, I told myself that as long as I believed in my ability to cope with a stalemate, and as long as I was firm enough, the result could change," said Fan after the match.

Though he failed to beat the top seed, the 27-year-old Lin has claimed gold medals at the championships this year in the men's doubles and the mixed doubles.

In the women's singles final, world No.4 Wang Yidi claimed a 4-3 victory over world No.3 Wang Manyu on Friday.

Wang Yidi took the initiative to win the first game 11-8, before Wang Manyu hit back to claim the second with an identical 11-8. After both paddlers won two more games to tie the score 3-3, Wang Manyu leveled the score at 8-8 but eventually lost the decider 11-9.

"We both played well tonight. I think maybe I've got better luck, as I shot some netballs in the key moments," said Wang Yidi after the match. "And hopefully, I can keep this high morale in the coming Asian Cup."

2022 China National Table Tennis Championships

Time: November 3-12, 2022

Location: Huangshi, central China's Hubei Province

Winners

Men's singles: Fan Zhendong

Women's singles: Wang Yidi

Men's doubles: Lin Gaoyuan and Zhou Qihao

Women's doubles: Chen Xingtong and Qian Tianyi

Mixed doubles: Lin Gaoyuan and Wang Manyu

Men's team: Team Shanghai

Women's team: Team Liaoning

(With input from Xinhua)