SUZHOU (China): Two-time defending champion Zhang Jike from China withstood a late challenge from Japanese rival Jun Mizutani to reach the men’s singles last four at the World Table Tennis Championships here on Saturday.

Zhang had to overcome a third set slump and some dicey moments in the fifth before beating the Japanese 11-4, 11-6, 10-12, 11-5, 11-9.

Zhang was joined by three other Chinese players Ma Long, Fang Bo and Fan Zhendong in the men’s singles semi-finals, securing the gold in advance for the hosts.

China also secured the women’s singles gold as the world’s top two players Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen will vie for the title.

On Friday, Chinese Xu Xin teamed up with South Korean Yang Hae-un to become the first cross-border partnership to win the mixed doubles title for 61 years.

The pair beat Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa and Maharu Yoshimura 4-0, becoming the first mixed nationality winners of the title since Czechoslovakia’s Ivan Andreadis and Hungarian Gizella Gervai at Wembley in 1954.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2015

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