In a display of exceptional skill and determination, Chinese paddlers Sun Yingsha and Lin Shidong clinched the women's and men's singles titles respectively at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash on Sunday.
On the penultimate day of the event, Chinese athletes made a clean sweep, securing all five titles. Sun Yingsha faced Kuai Man in the women's final, a competitor making her debut in a WTT Grand Smash singles final. Sun took early control with an 11-8 victory in the first game. Although Kuai leveled the score 11-9 in the second game, Sun regained momentum, winning the next three games 11-7, 11-5, and 11-6 to reclaim the title she held in 2023.
Expressing her satisfaction, Sun stated, \"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.\" This victory marks Sun's third singles title on the WTT Grand Smash stage, adding to her wins at the 2023 Singapore Smash and the 2024 China Smash, and brings her total to 14 singles titles in the WTT Series—the highest among any player.
Despite Kuai's loss in the singles final, she leaves Singapore with pride, having previously secured titles in the mixed doubles and women's doubles events.
The men's singles final was equally impressive, featuring an all-Chinese matchup between Lin Shidong and Liang Jingkun. After sharing the initial four games, Lin intensified his performance, ultimately winning 11-3 and 11-2 in the concluding games. This victory not only adds to Lin's accolades but also propels him to the top of next week's world rankings, a significant achievement for the 19-year-old athlete.
Lin remarked, \"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.\" His remarkable run in Singapore, including treble success in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, underscores his promising career in table tennis.
