Wang Chuqin(L)/Sun Yingsha of China compete in the table tennis mixed doubles final at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sept. 30, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)
China's Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha defended their Asiad mixed doubles title, while two Chinese pairs were knocked out in the women's doubles quarterfinals.
HANGZHOU, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Defending champions Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha claimed the table tennis mixed doubles title at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Saturday.
In an all-Chinese final, Wang and Sun defeated Lin Gaoyuan and Wang Yidi 11-6, 11-8, 13-15, 11-4, 11-9. Although Lin and Wang won in a nerve-wracking third game, they still failed to stage a comeback.
"I'm very happy to pair with Sun to win the title. I shouldered the responsibilities and dealt with the pressure," Wang Chuqin noted.
"From Jakarta to Hangzhou, we further improved our cooperation and individual abilities," Sun said. "We've played many matches together and made significant progress towards future."
Japan's Miwa Harimoto (L)/Miyuu Kihara compete during the table tennis quarterfinals at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sept. 30, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)
However, two of China's women's doubles pairs were stopped from the quarterfinals as Sun and Wang Manyu lost to Japan's Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara 3-1 (11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 11-9), while Chen Meng and Wang Yidi were unexpectedly defeated by India's Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee 3-1 (11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9).
"We just concentrated on our own game," Harimoto said. "Our ultimate goal is to win the championship, so we should work hard and play well in the semifinal first."
Duos from South Korea and DPR Korea successfully secured the other berths in the women's doubles semifinals.
In the men's doubles quarterfinals, Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan of China lost 3-2 (11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 6-11, 8-11) to Chuang Chih-yuan and Lin Yun-ju from Chinese Taipei. China's Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong powered into the men's singles semifinals, while Sun and Wang Yidi also progressed in the women's singles. ■
