DOHA, Dec 7 - Wang Hao and Guo Yue struck a blow for youth in China's almost all-conquering table tennis team by claiming the coveted men and women's singles crowns at the Al Arabi sports club on Thursday.

Spikey-haired Wang took just 35 minutes to beat Ma Lin -- the elder statesman of the China team in Doha -- and claim his second gold of the Games, while swashbuckling teenager Guo won her third title with a victory over Hong Kong's Tie Ya Na.

"It's a common phenomenon that we older players are challenged by the youngsters," said 26-year-old Ma. "But if we prepare well we can still do well in the future."

After Ma had earlier teamed up with Wang Nan to win the mixed doubles title, only a shock men's doubles defeat for Ma and Chen Qi on Wednesday against Hong Kong's Ko Lai Chak and Li Ching deprived China of a clean sweep of all seven gold medals at the Games.

Although only three years younger than Ma, world number four Wang Hao is part of the generation of players China hopes will peak at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"This was a good opportunity to improve my performance at a big event," he said. "My target was obviously the championship and I fulfilled that."

The Athens Olympic silver medallist lost the opening game of the match but swept through the next four with just a little luck -- he won five points in a single game from net cords. He sealed the 9-11 12-10 11-4 14-12 11-9 victory when a smash forced Ma to net.

"In the first few sets it was pretty tight and we were both playing well. On some critical points there were some net cords so the good luck came to me," said Wang, who also won a gold in the team event.

CHINA's DARLING

Guo is one of China's big hopes gold at the Beijing Olympics and her energy finally proved too much for Hong Kong's Tie Ya Na in a tight contest which went to a deciding set before the Chinese triumphed 11-3 10-12 11-4 11-13 11-9 8-11 11-2.

"I'm delighted to be the champion," said the boyish Liaoning teenager, who is 18 but looks several years younger. "For the first few games I was a bit nervous and needed to slow down. Then I adjusted my mindset and went on to win."

Tie beat China's darling Wang Nan in both the women's singles and doubles semi-finals but came unstuck in both finals, also losing to Guo and her partner Li Xiaoxia on Wednesday.

"I thought I did OK today," said the 27-year-old. "I lost to her last time we played and I didn't expect to win. She was excellent in the last game."

Wang Nan exorcised a few demons in the mixed doubles final, where she and Ma beat South Koreans Lee Jung-woo and Lee Eun-hee 11-5 12-10 8-11 19-17 11-8.

"Although I lost in the women's singles and doubles yesterday, I had faith in Ma Lin and with spirit we did quite well," said the 28-year-old Sydney Olympic singles champion.

Guo, who has had some discipline problems in the famously strict table tennis set-up, was asked what Wang Nan had said to her afterwards.

"She told me some technical things I had done wrong."