China take men's, women's doubles titles at WTT Saudi Smash

Chinese pairs Chen Meng/Wang Manyu and Ma Long/Wang Chuqin dominated the doubles field by winning the women's and men's doubles titles respectively on Friday, the seventh day of the 2024 WTT Saudi Smash.

Chen and Wang Manyu faced off against South Korean pair Jeon Ji-hee and Shin Yu-bin in the women's doubles final at King Abdullah Sports City, displaying excellent coordination and skill and taking control early in the match.

Despite a tense scoreline in the third set, the Chinese duo used their stability on crucial points to secure a 3-0 victory (11-6, 11-6, 12-10), claiming China's second title of the tournament.

Wang Manyu (L)/Chen Meng of China compete against Jeon Jihee/Shin Yubin of South Korea during the women's doubles final at WTT Saudi Smash 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou)

The men's doubles final followed, featuring Ma/Wang Chuqin against Japanese duo Hiroto Shinozuka and Shunsuke Togami. The Chinese pair needed only 26 minutes to dispatch their opponents 11-6, 11-5, 11-9.

In the post-match interview, Wang Chuqin expressed his happiness, saying, "I'm very happy to pair up with Ma Long once again. My first world championship title in doubles was won partnering with him, and I hope we can continue to cooperate more in the future."

Ma humbly responded, "This is the first time Wang Chuqin and I have clinched a WTT men's doubles title together. He mentioned that five years ago I was guiding him, but now he's guiding me."

In the women's singles semifinals, Chen faced a fierce battle against Japanese player Hina Hayata. Chen showed her excellent form, winning 11-9, 11-5, 11-10, 11-7 to set up a final showdown with teammate Sun Yingsha, who won a Chinese derby over Wang Yidi 4-1.

The men's singles semifinals between Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin were equally thrilling. Lin started strong, effectively handling Wang's powerful shots with his forehand loops and solid defense, taking the first two sets 11-8 each.

Wang Chuqin found his rhythm in the third set, narrowly taking it 11-8. He then capitalized on Lin's wavering focus to win the next two sets 11-9 and 11-4, overturning the match to lead 3-2. Lin pushed hard in the sixth set, winning 11-7 to force a decider.

A more seasoned Wang Chuqin took the decider 11-6 to secure his spot in the final.

Wang Chuqin will face a formidable challenge in the men's singles final against the in-form German player Patrick Franziska.