Table Tennis
14:16, 01-Apr-2019
Table Tennis: China take four out of five titles at Qatar Open
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China proves that it is still the sport's powerhouse by winning four out of five titles at the just concluded ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open.
Olympic and world champion Ma Long has made a stunning return to the international arena after a seven-month injury recovery, winning the men's singles by defeating fellow Chinese Lin Gaoyuan.
The 11th seeded Ma beat the second seed and his doubles partner in Doha 9-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 in the event's final.
Ma, 30, is a legend in the world, with the longest world No. 1 ranking for men's singles for 64 months.
With the newest victory, Ma now holds the record for winning four times at Qatar Open, outperforming of China's Wang Liqin and Xu Xin as well as Croatia's Zoran Primorac who have three trophies in Doha.
The Chinese superstar has now equaled the 27 ITTF World Tour titles won by Belarusian legend Vladimir Samsonov.
Wang Manyu of China competes during the women's singles final against compatriot Liu Shiwen at ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open in the Qatari capital of Doha, March 31, 2019. /Xinhua Photo
Wang Manyu of China competes during the women's singles final against compatriot Liu Shiwen at ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open in the Qatari capital of Doha, March 31, 2019. /Xinhua Photo
Meanwhile, Wang Manyu won 4-2 against her compatriot Liu Shiwen at the women's singles final on Sunday. Earlier, Wang teamed with Sun Yingsha to defeat Ding Ning and Wang Yidi, also from China, to win the women's doubles on Saturday.
China's Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen win the mixed doubles gold, while the men's double title went to Chinese Hong Kong players Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting who edge out Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska of Germany.
China's dominance at the Qatar Open came three weeks before the World Table Tennis Championships in Budapest, Hungary.