China swept the women’s singles semifinal spots at the WTT Singapore Smash

Chinese paddlers have secured the women’s singles and doubles titles at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash here on Friday.

Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Qian Tianyi and Zhang Rui all took four spots in the women’s singles semifinals.

The top-ranked Sun beat South Korea’s Joo Cheon-hui in a seven-set thriller. World number 104 Joo gave everything to drag the match to a decider, where Sun eventually won 11-5, reports Xinhua.

Monaco’s Yang Xiaoxin started the game better, winning the first set 11-7, but the fourth-ranked Wang responded quickly by following up with four games: 11-7, 11-9, 12-10, 11-2. Sun and Wang compete for a place in the final.

Qian won in similar fashion to Wang, recovering from a first-set loss to dispatch Austria’s Sofia Polcanova 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6.

Zhang beat 39-year-old German chopper Han Ying 4-1 to win a semi-final match with Qian.

In the women’s doubles semifinals, Wang Manyu/Sun Yingsha overcame South Korean duo Shin Yu-bin/Jeon Ji-hee 3-0, while Chen Meng/Wang Yidi defeated Japan’s Mima Ito/Hina Hayata 3-1.

Reigning Olympic champion Ma Long edged Germany’s Qiu Dang in straight sets in the men’s singles quarterfinals.

“It was probably the best match I’ve played since last year’s Singapore Smash. With my form and hitting, I played well on the court and felt relatively comfortable today,” commented the 34-year-old Ma.

Ma’s semifinal opponent is Brazilian ace Hugo Calderano, who defeated Nigerian Quadri Aruna 4-0.

Wang Chuqin beat compatriot Lin Gaoyuan 4-1 to set up a semi-final match with tournament top seed Fan Zhendong, who saw off Swedish prodigy Truls Moregard 4-2.

Also on Friday, Fan and Wang beat Japan’s Yukiya Uda/Shunsuke Togami 3-1 in the men’s doubles semifinal. The Chinese duo will battle for the title with South Korea’s Jang Woo-jin/Lim Jong-hoon, who beat Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju/Chuang Chih-Yuan 3-1.