China's Wang Chuqin reacts during the men's singles final at the World Table Tennis Champions in Macao, China, April 23, 2023. /CFP
China's Wang Chuqin overwhelmed his teammate and two-time Olympic champion Ma Long with a dominant 4-0 win to clinch the men's singles title at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Champions Macao tournament on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Wang, who had displayed his sensational form by swatting aside Japan's wunderkind Tomokazu Harimoto 11-9, 11-9, 11-7, 11-4 in the previous round, struggled to get into his groove in the final, allowing his opponent to take the initiative.
However, Wang gradually gained momentum and control as the tie progressed. Leveraging his physical advantage, he snuffed out Ma's rally in the later stages of the game and ultimately secured the victory of 12-10, 11-1, 11-8, 11-7.
"I was very happy to win against Ma Long, but I still had some problems during the match," observed Wang, who has now won two WTT Champions titles in Macao, having also coming out on top in 2022.
"I had a slow start and I need to analyse this problem later... This Champions event also gives me a lot of confidence, but I still need to train well and prepare for the World Table Tennis Championships in Durban."
China's Wang Manyu during the women's singles final at the World Table Tennis Champions in Macao, China, April 23, 2023. /CFP
Earlier in the day, China's Olympic team gold medalist Wang Manyu lifted her second WTT Champions trophy after outclassing compatriot Chen Meng 4-2 in the women's singles final.
At the outset of the final, Chen had the upper hand with a brighter start. But Wang exhibited her resilience and slowly, but surely, gained ground, digging deep to push ahead. With a strong finish, she confidently sealed the victory of 11-13, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-8.
"I am very happy to win this title. I played well today," said Wang Manyu. "In fact, every time I have played with Chen Meng it has been very close, maybe the one who played better wins, but I still handled the key shots a little better today."
"I think the most valuable thing is the confidence that this gives me. Next, I would like to sum up the process of this competition, devote myself to the training, and prepare well for the World Table Tennis Championships."