Ding Ning completes hat-trick of women's singles titles at TT worlds

World No.1 Ding Ning beat fellow Chinese and third seed Zhu Yuling 4-2 to win her third women's singles title at the World Table Tennis Championships here on Sunday.

Ding, also the Olympic champion in Rio, won the first game 11-4 but Zhu, playing her first final in the world championships, pulled two back 11-9, 11-4 for a 2-1 lead, reports Xinhua news agency.

The two players then displayed a beautiful attacking game. Ding, who won the world title in 2011 and 2015, saved a game point from 9-10, winning three points in a row to make it 2-2.

Zhu, whose only winning record against Ding came in the 2015 China Open final, made too many errors while the 27-year-old Ding played steadily and accurately, leading all the way to win 11-6. She went on to take the next game 11-7 to seal the title.

"It is very special to win the world title for a third time," she said. "It is a teamwork of the Chinese national team."

Ding will also play the doubles semi-final with teammate Liu Shiwen. "I hope to play well in the women's doubles tomorrow, and then I will relax and enjoy the break," she said when asked about her future.

Ding, who earlier won the World TT women's singles title in 2013 and 2015, became the third Chinese woman player to record a hat-trick of world singles title following Deng Yaping and Wang Nan.

--IANS

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