Wang Chuqin and Wang Manyu took very different paths to glory at the 2024 WTT Finals on Sunday (24 November).
Men's table tennis world number one Wang overpowered Harimoto Tomokazu to claim his third consecutive season-ending crown, winning 4-0 (11-2, 11-8, 11-7, 11-5) in just 29 minutes.
Having dropped just one game in his last four matches against the Japanese, the 24-year-old stunned the home crowd as he exploded into a 10-0 lead. In the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games final, the left-hander deliberately served into the net to avoid winning the third game 11-0. This time, he appeared to play the point normally, but Harimoto managed to get on the board as a Wang forehand flicked off the net and long.
With plenty of supporters from the People's Republic of China cheering him on, Wang went 5-1 up in the second set. Harimoto won a superb rally before finally gaining a foothold in the match. A couple of superb backhand flicks helped put him in front 8-7, but 'Lionheart' went on the attack again to take the next four points and go two games in front.
The third game followed the same pattern as the first with Harimoto simply unable to find his rhythm. He did win four consecutive points after Wang had gone 7-1 in front, but the Chinese managed to stay clear to close in on victory.
Harimoto was in touch in the fourth game at 5-6, but dropped four points in a row before serving into the back of the table to finish the contest. Wang threw his headband into the crowd to celebrate ending an up-and-down year - in which he suffered a shock early exit to Sweden's Truls Moregard at Paris 2024 - in style.
Speaking via an interpreter, Wang said afterwards, "We've been playing against each other for many years. Harimoto's form the past week has been great so I came into the match with the mentality of an underdog. I prepared myself to the fullest and didn't expect today's match to turn out this way."
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Wang Manyu outlasts Chen Xingtong to take women's crown
Wang Manyu won a thrilling all-Chinese womenâs final, defeating Chen Xingtong 4-3 (13-11, 9-11, 4-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-8, 11-5) in an hour and eight minutes.
Having upset world number one and three-time reigning champion Sun Yingsha in the opening round, and swept world number three Wang Yidi in the semi-finals, Chen was hoping to complete a week to remember in Fukuoka.
She started brightly to go 10-6 ahead, but Wang saved all four game points before edging the opener 13-11 with a forehand push which hit the net and died on her opponentâs side.
The players were level at 9-9 in the second, but a forehand error from Wang followed by a serve into the net saw âTongtongâ get back on terms. The underdog then powered her way to six points in a row to take a 2-1 lead.
Back came Wang to take the next game comfortably, but Chen won seven consecutive points to go 3-2 ahead and move to the brink of a famous triumph. She then led 3-1 in the fifth game with Wang taking a time out to try and halt her compatriotâs momentum.
It succeeded. Wang reeled off the next six points to seize the initiative before setting up a decider. Chen led it 5-4, but had no response as the world number two upped her level to take seven straight points and make it five wins out of five against her fellow Chinese this year.
Afterwards, Wang said, "I'm very excited to have won my first WTT Finals title. This is a breakthrough for me. We both brought 100 per cent to the table and I'm very happy to have won. I didn't set any goal for this tournament, I just hoped to play my best."
