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E-mail Xinhua, April 22, 2024
China's Ma Long completed a marvellous comeback win in the ITTF World Cup men's final as he beat teammate Lin Gaoyuan 4-3, while Sun Yingsha also overcame Wang Manyu in a seven-game thriller to win her first World Cup title on Sunday evening.
Men's singles event winner China's Ma Long (L) and women's singles event winner China's Sun Yingsha pose during the awarding ceremony of the ITTF World Cup Macao 2024 at Galaxy Arena in Macao, China, April 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)
China has already secured the men's and women's singles titles, by wrapping up all the final spots after the semifinals.
It was Ma and Lin's 10th meeting, with their latest clash having come earlier this year. Despite Ma leading their head-to-head, Lin has claimed victories in their last two encounters. Ma has won the World Cup twice, with his last win in 2015, while it was Lin's first appearance at the men's World Cup final.
Lin was close to winning his World Cup title as he has established a 3-0 advantage, but Ma got back on level terms for 3-3.
After playing out a 4-4 tie in the decisive seventh game, Ma ran riot to gain five consecutive points before clinching his third World Cup title at 11-8.
"I never expected to win the title, as I had said before, the semifinals had been a success for me. I think everyone can feel how relaxed I was during the play. Thank you to all the fans for your support, and I also want to thank myself for never giving up," Ma noted.
In the women's event, Sun and Wang met for the third time this year, with Sun winning their final match-up at the 2024 WTT Championships in Incheon, South Korea in March. This was Sun's second appearance at a women's World Cup final, whereas Wang has reached the final in her World Cup debut.
Wang was very aggressive from the beginning and surged into a 3-1 lead after four games. However, Sun showcased her resilience to drag the match into a seventh game.
Sun opened the decider with a 3-1 run, forcing Wang to call a time-out, and Sun rode the momentum to seal her first World Cup.
"Both of us have done our best. For me, it was an extraordinary match, and a precious experience in my career," Sun said.
