China

China pockets 7th table tennis men's team title

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-12-04 08:30
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Defending champions China won a Busan final rematch over South Korea here on Sunday to claim their seventh Asian Games men's table tennis team title.

China pockets 7th table tennis men's team title
The Chinese men's team table tennis team stands on the podium after winning gold at the Asian Games in Doha December 3, 2006. [Reuters]
China pockets 7th table tennis men's team title

It is also the fourth straight Asiad team gold for the all-time leaders of men's table tennis, as they trounced arch-rivals South Korea in their fourth consecutive final encounter in an Asiad.

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Showing an unstoppable momentum, Wang Hao, Ma Lin and Chen Qi crushed the South Koreans 3-0, while only the second game from quadruple World Cup winner Ma was drawn to full sets.

Leading most of the first set against Oh Sang Eun, Ma, following Wang Hao's 12-10, 11-4, 11-4 win over Olympic champion Ryu Seung Min, was unexpectedly pulled into chaos when the Korean veteran played some placement shots to win it 11-8.

Ma, an Olympic doubles champion, managed to find his style, winning the following sets 11-6, 11-6, before he was beaten 11-5 in the fourth set and forced into the deciding one.

The decider went all the way to the 26-year-old Ma, who, with his trademark forehand topspin, won nearly all the rallies, allowing the tall Oh only three points.

Chen Qi won the third game over defensive player Joo Sae Hyuk 11-6, 11-2, 9-11, 11-9.

Earlier Sunday afternoon, the Chinese women took back the Asian Games gold medal which they lost four years ago in Busan, South Korea, beating Asiad final newcomer Singapore in straight games.

Ace paddler Wang Nan led a strong run by the Chinese trio to outclass their opponents 3-0.

She overcame an early setback to beat Sun Bei Bei 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8, before Guo Yan and Guo Yue won over Li Jia Wei and Tan Paey Fern 3-1 and 3-0 respectively.

The victory erased the bad memories of Wang and her team at the Busan Asiad in 2002 when the seemingly unbeatable Chinese women suffered an incredible and humiliating 3-1 final defeat to DPR Korea.

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