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China clinch three titles at WTT Zagreb
CGTN
Team China pose for a picture at WTT Contender Zagreb with Chinese Ambassador to Croatia Qi Qianjin in the middle in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP
Team China pose for a picture at WTT Contender Zagreb with Chinese Ambassador to Croatia Qi Qianjin in the middle in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP

Team China pose for a picture at WTT Contender Zagreb with Chinese Ambassador to Croatia Qi Qianjin in the middle in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP

Chinese paddlers won three titles at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender Zagreb, including the men's singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles, as the tournament concluded on Sunday.

Olympic silver medalists Fan Zhendong and Sun Yingsha headed China's roster for the competition, and started shortly after on Monday in the next WTT leg in Ljubljana,  joined by other top-ranked players from China, including Olympic champion Ma Long, Chen Meng, and others. 

Sun won the mixed doubles title with teammate Wang Chuqin over compatriots Lin Shidong and Kuai Man on Saturday, and lost to Japan's Miu Hirano in a seven-set final in the women's singles final.

Wang Chuqin (L) and Sun Yingsha in action during the mixed doubles final at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 1, 2023. /CFP
Wang Chuqin (L) and Sun Yingsha in action during the mixed doubles final at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 1, 2023. /CFP

Wang Chuqin (L) and Sun Yingsha in action during the mixed doubles final at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 1, 2023. /CFP

The mixed doubles top seeds, Sun and Wang, did not meet with much resistance except for the third set, where Lin and Kuai took a 11-9 victory, before the Durban World Championships winners stormed to victory. 

Sun and Hirano kicked off Sunday's finals' contention. The two took turns to take the lead until the sixth set, when Hirano saved two match points to retain her hopes of winning with 14-12, forcing the match into the decider, which Hirano took with 11-6. 

Sun Yingsha (2nd R) and Miu Hirano (2nd L) at the women's singles award ceremony at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP
Sun Yingsha (2nd R) and Miu Hirano (2nd L) at the women's singles award ceremony at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP

Sun Yingsha (2nd R) and Miu Hirano (2nd L) at the women's singles award ceremony at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP

The second final of the day was an all-Chinese match between world number one Fan and Lin Gaoyuan, who repeated Hirano's pathway to victory, leveled the match at 3-3 and eventually won the decider where Fan had the leading edge twice, only to be reversed by Lin both times. 

Lin Gaoyuan (L) and Fan Zhendong in action during the men's singles final at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP
Lin Gaoyuan (L) and Fan Zhendong in action during the men's singles final at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP

Lin Gaoyuan (L) and Fan Zhendong in action during the men's singles final at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP

The men'd doubles final was also an all-Chinese setup between Liang Jingkun/Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Shidong/Yuan Licen, which the latter won 3-1.

Lin Shidong/Yuan Licen (in red) and Liang Jingkun/Lin Gaoyuan at the men's doubles award ceremony at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP
Lin Shidong/Yuan Licen (in red) and Liang Jingkun/Lin Gaoyuan at the men's doubles award ceremony at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP

Lin Shidong/Yuan Licen (in red) and Liang Jingkun/Lin Gaoyuan at the men's doubles award ceremony at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP

The Liang/Lin duo lost the first two sets with multiple errors, but still managed to give the winners a scare in the third set at match point 10-8, winning four points straight to force a forth set. This time Lin and Yuan left their opponents no chance with a dominating 11-4 victory.

Qian Tianyi (L) and Liu Weishan in action during the women's singles final at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP
Qian Tianyi (L) and Liu Weishan in action during the women's singles final at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP

Qian Tianyi (L) and Liu Weishan in action during the women's singles final at WTT Contender Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, July 2, 2023. /CFP

The women's doubles was scheduled as the last one on Sunday, in which South Korean duo Shin Yubin/Jeon Jihee dragged the match into a decider after saving the first match point earned by Chinese duo Qian Tianyi/Liu Weishan at 10-9 in the fourth set, and sealed the victory with a small margin 11-8. 

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