INCHEON, South Korea, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese paddlers Wang Yidi and Xiang Peng claimed the women's and men's singles titles respectively at the 2025 World Table Tennis (WTT) Champions Incheon in South Korea on Sunday.
Wang secured the title over her compatriot Chen Xingtong in the women's singles final through a tough seven-game match: 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 12-14, 11-9, 11-6, 12-10. After trailing three games behind, Wang staged a stunning comeback by rallying six consecutive points in the decisive game's final minutes.
"This match was truly challenging for me. I was essentially playing catch-up throughout, but I kept strategizing ways to shift the momentum. Ultimately, what brought me victory was the faith of refusing to surrender," said the winner.
Unseeded Xiang advanced to the men's singles final with a dark-horse triumph over the second seed Hugo Calderano in the quarterfinal and the fifth seed Patrick Franziska in the semifinal. He then blitzed to victory in only 25 minutes over South Korean Lee Sang-su in the final: 11-8, 11-0, 11-3, 11-4.
"It's somewhat unexpected to clinch the title, and it marks a breakthrough victory for me. I didn't overthink the outcome before the match, and just focused on the games," Xiang said after the match.
"Having gone through a slump recently, this achievement did boost my confidence, proving my continuous efforts weren't in vain," said the 21-year-old, who made a phoenix-like rise to championship glory.
