Fan Zhendong, Wang Manyu retain table tennis singles championships at 15th National Games

Shanghai's Fan Zhendong successfully defended the men's singles title at China's 15th National Games, overwhelming Hainan's Lin Shidong 4-1 in a final that mixed drama with clinical finishes in Macao SAR (Special Administrative Region) on Sunday.

Paris Olympics champion Fan survived a nervy opening trailing 9-4 in the first game, he rattled off seven straight points to claim the frame 11-9. Lin, the 20‑year‑old who etched his name into history as the first Hainan paddler to reach a National Games final, answered by taking the second 11-8.

After that, however, the 28‑year‑old Fan assumed control, closing out the match with successive 11-5, 11-3 and 11-4 games.  

The women's singles final supplied its own theatrics as Heilongjiang's Wang Manyu also defended her title, edging out Hebei's Sun Yingsha 4-2 in a contest filled with momentum swings.

World No. 1 Sun opened quickly, snatching the first game 11-7, only to see her occasional doubles partner Wang respond by notching the next three frames 11-8, 12-10 and 11-4.

Sun dug back in to seize a tense fifth game 16-14 and looked dangerous again in the sixth. However, Wang produced a late, decisive burst of eight consecutive points, as the reigning titleholder closed out the contest 11-9.