Team China
Ding Ning grabs table tennis worlds' title
Updated: 2011-05-15 15:00
(Xinhua)
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ROTTERDAM - China's Ding Ning captured her first women's singles title by beating compatriot Li Xiaoxia in a spectacular final of the World Table Tennis Championships on Saturday in Rotterdam.
Ding beat her top seeded Li in six games: 12-10, 13-11, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7. Li Xiaoxia came back strongly from a 3-0 deficit, but it was not enough.
"I have been waiting for this for a very long time," Ding said afterwards. "Ever since I was a child I was dreaming about a world title and an Olympic title. This is my lifetime dream."
In the second game, Li led 10-6, but could not make it. Ding saved four game points and went on to win the game 13-11. In the third game Li saved four game points, but fell in the fifth one, losing 11-9.
In the fifth game, 20-year-old Ding went 4-0 ahead, but Li came back with seven points in a row and won the game 11-8.
"Basically in the fifth game when I was leading 5-3 suddenly I felt my opponent made a lot of changes adjustment wise. That's why I lost that game. But I learned a good lesson from the previous game and kept hoping."
In the final game Li led 5-0, but this time Ding bounced back to win 11-7.
On Sunday, Ding will play the women's doubles final. "I will not party, but concentrate on that final first," she noted.
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