China sweeps board in TT Worlds, Wang Liqin crowned

ZAGREB - Wang Liqin shut the last non-Chinese out of the world table tennis championships on Sunday, ensuring China's clean sweep of gold and silver medals for the third time before claiming his third title by beating teammate Ma Lin in the final game.

The defending champion played a technically smart game to outlast South Korean Olympic champion Ryu Seung Min 6-11, 11-3, 11-7, 14-16, 11-6, 10-12, 11-7, joining teammate Ma Lin in the final.

Wang Liqin of China reacts during during his men's singles semi-finals match against Ryu Seung-Min of South Korea at the World table tennis championships in Zagreb May 27, 2007. [Reuters]

It is the fifth time for China to clean sweep the individual golds and for the third time, after the 1981 and 2001 championships, to walk way with all the golds and silvers.

In the seventh set decider, Wang forced the South Korean to make mistakes by pressuring on his backhand and hitting open space on his forehand side.

Ryu had driven into the net four times, before Wang jumped to a 8-4 lead and then ran away 10-7. A backhand service return too long by Ryu made the lanky Shanghaiese the third-time singles world champion.

The South Korean penholder opened brilliantly with a 4-0 lead as Wang looked hesitant. The Chinese had closed it to 4-6 but Ryu cashed in on a series of errors by the opponent to face the set point, which was lost by Wang who sent a forehand drive too long.

Taking head coach Liu Guoliang's advice, Wang frequently returned to Ryu's righthand open space. The tactics went well and Wang took the second set 11-3.

Wang changed his tactics in the third set as he fired to Ryu's backhand. This set was 11-7 in favor of the 2001 and 2005 world champion.

Ryu overcame Wang's 4-1 lead to move ahead 9-7 in the fourth set.Wang made it nine-all before the match moved on like a seasaw game.

At 14-14, Wang sent a topspin strike to the net and then served into the net to concede the set.

Then Ryu's topspin play went wrong. He drove into the net seven times to lose the fifth set 11-6.

The sixth set was Wang's turn to make mistakes. He sent returns to the net as many as Ryu did earlier, losing by two points to face the deciding set.

Wang said after the match that both finalists had played to their best.

"It was a very difficult game, for which I had prepared thoroughly," said Wang.

So had Ryu, who said he spent most of last night studying Wang' s video.

"Ryu has been in superb form after beating his teammate Oh Sang Eun and German Timo Boll, who both had never lost to Ryu before this world championships," Wang commented.

Wang said new techniques and tactics he used against Ryu worked very well.

"I did fairly well in service returns," he said. "I used my backhand to receive Ryu's services, the technique I had rarely used."

Ryu said he was satisfied with his play.

"I stretched Wang Liqin to seven sets and that means I have become a better player," said Ryu. "I have hit top form and shown the best of my play."

Earlier, Ma Lin ousted fellow Chinese Wang Hao 6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 4-11, 11-9, 11-6 in the first semifinal.

In last world championship final in 2005, Wang Liqin downed Ma Lin, who had finished runner-up to Liu Guoliang in the 1999 final.

In the women's doubles final on Sunday, defending Olympic and world champions Wang Nan/Zhang Yining beat Guo Yue/Li Xiaoxia 11-5, 11-6, 13-11, 11-9, with losing semifinalists Kim Kyung Ah/Park Mi Young of South Korea and Li Jia Wei/Wang Yue Gu of Singapore picking bronze medals.