Chinese paddlers set to sweep all five titles at WTT Singapore Smash

Chinese paddlers assured of all five titles on offer at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash, after they won the men's doubles and women's doubles events, and set up all-Chinese singles finals on Saturday.

Ma Long and Lin Gaoyuan won the men's doubles title with a nail-biting 3-2 victory over former champions Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin.

Ma and Lin took an early 4-1 lead before Fan and Wang, winners in the past two editions, made a remarkable comeback, scoring seven consecutive points to win the opening game 11-6.

After a 7-7 tie in the second game, Ma and Lin won four points in a row to level the score.

In a close third game, Ma and Lin narrowly won 11-9, but Fan and Wang bounced back to prevail 11-6 in the fourth game and push the match into a tiebreaker.

The tiebreaker was a rollercoaster ride. Fan and Wang had one match point at 10-9, but Ma and Lin showed exceptional resilience, saving two match points en route to a 14-12 victory.

"I am very happy to win here," said Ma. "This is the first time that Lin and I have won the title as a pair, and also my first title in WTT events."

"I'm delighted to see us reach a higher level through these matches," added Lin.

Meanwhile, Chen Meng and Wang Manyu claimed the women's doubles title after an 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 victory over Li Yu-jhun and Cheng I-ching of Chinese Taipei.

Earlier on Friday, China's top-ranked mixed doubles pair Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha claimed their third consecutive title.

The last competition day will see all-Chinese singles finals, with Liang Jingkun to face Wang Chuqin in the men's final, while Wang Yidi will compete against Wang Manyu in the women's title showdown. 

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: Lin Gaoyuan (L) and Ma Long win the WTT Singapore Smash men's doubles title in Singapore, March 16, 2024. /CFP)