Sun Yingsha retains ITTF World Cup crown, Calderano makes history

China's World No. 1 Sun Yingsha defended her women's singles title at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Cup in south China's Macao Special Administrative Region while Brazil's Hugo Calderano became the first Brazilian paddler to win the men's singles title at the tournament on Sunday.

Sun swept past her compatriot Kuai Man 4-0 in the final. Calderano came back to defeat home favorite Lin Shidong 4-1 to secure his first World Cup title as a professional paddler.

"Lin Shidong started really strong, but I think I was able to find some solutions. Winning the second game gave me a boost, and I could play better and better throughout the match," Calderano reviewed.

He noted at a press conference after the final that Chinese players still dominate most tournaments, but also that international competition is getting tighter because everybody works so hard. "There may be more teams that can challenge China's dominance, but China is still the best in the world," Calderano said.

When asked about the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships that will kick off in Doha, Qatar, in May, Sun said that after this tournament, the first thing to focus on is body recovery. "I also hope to perform even better there, because I believe the World Championships will bring together more top players and stronger competition," she said. "The unknowns and challenges will only increase."