Paddlers from the Chinese mainland, Sun Yingsha and Lin Shidong, emerged as winners in the women’s and men’s singles events at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash on Sunday.
In the women’s singles final, Sun faced compatriot Kuai Man, who was making her first appearance in a WTT Grand Smash singles final. Sun took the initiative from the start, winning 11-8 in the first game. After Kuai leveled the score with an 11-9 win in the second game, the world No. 1 regained control, triumphing with scores of 11-7, 11-5, and 11-6 in the next three games to reclaim the title she won in 2023. 🏆
“I’m quite happy about making a good start in 2025. Facing a familiar opponent, I was more focused and gave it my all throughout the match,” Sun shared.
This victory marks the third time Sun has lifted the singles trophy on the WTT Grand Smash stage, following her wins at the 2023 Singapore Smash and the 2024 China Smash. It also brings her total to 14 singles titles in the WTT Series, the most of any player.
“I had expected it to be a tough match. Kuai has improved a lot in her form and ability recently, so I just focused on every point,” the top seed added.
Despite her loss in the singles final, Kuai Man left Singapore with pride, having secured the mixed doubles and women’s doubles titles earlier.
The men’s singles final was also an all-Chinese mainland affair, where Lin Shidong and Liang Jingkun split the first four games. Lin then stepped up his game, sealing his victory with 11-3 and 11-2 wins in the subsequent games. 🏓
Lin enjoyed an incredible run in Singapore, achieving treble success by winning the men’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. He also secured back-to-back titles in WTT Grand Smash events, building on his success at the 2024 China Smash. With this latest title, Lin is set to rise to world No. 1 in next week's world rankings, marking a significant milestone for the 19-year-old’s promising career.
“For me, the world No. 1 is just a title. I still need to improve myself in the future, and go all out in every match,” Lin stated.
Reference(s):
China's Sun, Lin snatch singles titles at WTT Singapore Smash
cgtn.com
