Sun Yingsha wins Singapore Smash for third time, while Wang Chuqin reclaims his crown

Chinese table tennis star Sun Yingsha has defended her World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash title with a hard-earned victory on Sunday.

Playing compatriot Wang Manyu in the women’s singles final at The Kallang, world No 1 Sun drew first blood before surviving a 7-0 run by Wang, who is ranked one place below, to also take the second game.

Facing a 2-0 deficit and tied at 7-7 in the third game, Wang won four points on a trot to pull one back. The Heilongjiang native then did it again in the next game – producing a 6-1 run to pull away from a 5-5 tie – and drew level in the match.

Wang, who was Singapore champion in 2024, appeared to be enjoying the momentum in the fifth game, amassing three game points, but that was when Sun pounced back. The world champion reeled off five straight points to steal the match from her compatriot’s nose.

Coming back from behind to take a crucial 3-2 lead had brought the fierce and ruthless Sun back to the table. Coupled with a series of mistakes by Wang, two-time Singapore winner Sun eventually claimed her third title there – after squandering two match points – walking away with an 11-8, 11-9, 7-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-9 win in 70 minutes and a lucrative US$100,000 pay cheque.

In the subsequent men’s singles final, there was no stopping Chinese top player Wang Chuqin from reclaiming his title in Singapore.