Wang Chuqin (R)/Sun Yingsha pose for photos during the mixed doubles award ceremony at the 2025 World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash in Beijing on Oct. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Olympic gold medalists Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin lived up to their names on Friday at the World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash, breezing past fellow Chinese Huang Youzheng and Chen Yi in straight games to take the mixed doubles title.

Sixth-seeded Sun and Wang, who received a bye in the round of 32 and only dropped one game in the following three rounds, denied a late challenge from their final opponents and nailed an 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 victory.

"The match proceeded more smoothly than expected," Sun commented in a post-match interview. "Our opponents were a very young pair who had just begun playing doubles together."

"During the game, we did very well in getting ourselves motivated, and our communication, coordination and collaboration were excellent, with no significant weaknesses."

Wang (L) shakes hands with Sun after winning the final. [Photo/Xinhua]

It has been the fifth time for Sun and Wang to triumph in mixed doubles at a WTT Grand Smash, and Wang reflected that "we, actually, didn't set our sights too firmly on winning the championship."

"But it's true that Shasha and I communicated very smoothly, especially since our goals were aligned. And our execution throughout the match has been much more seamless than before," added the world's top-ranked male paddler.

Huang and Chen, competing in the China Smash with a wildcard, claimed four wins to set up the title showdown against Sun and Wang. The casualties under their bats include Japan's No. 2 seeds Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto, and another Chinese pair Yuan Licen and Wang Yidi.

Felix Lebrun celebrates after winning the men's singles quarterfinal against Chen Junsong. [Photo/Xinhua]

Earlier in the day, Chinese youngster Chen Junsong's giant-killing run in the men's singles was snapped as he lost to Felix Lebrun of France 11-6, 12-10, 7-11, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10. The 20-year-old qualifier made his name four days ago by ousting world No. 4 Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan 3-2 in the first round of main draw.

No. 7 seed Lebrun will next play the second-seeded home player Lin Shidong, who made short work of Japanese paddler Yukiya Uda 11-8, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 in the other quarterfinal slated at noon.

On women's part, reigning world singles champion Sun Yingsha was at full stretch in an all-Chinese quarterfinal, trailing two games to three before coming back to win a 14-12, 4-11, 11-6, 7-11, 12-14, 11-3, 11-8 thriller over Wang Yidi, who's ranked fifth in the world.

Sun, the top seed and defending champion, will vie for a final spot against third seed Chen Xingtong, who advanced after beating No. 7 seed Zhu Yuling of Macao, China 4-2.

The other semifinal will pit 16th seed Shin Yu-bin of South Korea, the 4-2 winner over teammate Joo Cheon-hui, against the second-ranked Chinese Wang Manyu, who denied Japan's sixth seed Miwa Harimoto 4-0.

Friday's play also saw two Chinese pairs, second seeds Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin and wildcard holders Zhou Qihao and Chen Junsong, set up a final encounter, while the women's doubles title will be decided between China's Kuai Man and Wang Manyu, the top seeds, and Hina Hayata of Japan and Joo Cheon-hui of South Korea.

Both the men's and women's doubles finals will be played on Saturday.