Olympic champion Fan retains table tennis men's title at China's National Games

MACAO - Shanghai's Fan Zhendong beat Lin Shidong of Hainan 4-1 to defend the table tennis men's singles title at China's 15th National Games here on Sunday.

Despite a slow start, Fan came back from 9-4 down to pocket seven points in a row to clinch the first game 11-9.

Lin, 20, won the second game 11-8, but 28-year-old Fan was unstoppable afterwards, taking the next three games 11-5, 11-3, 11-4 for the gold.

"At the beginning, I didn't feel at ease. I continued to elevate my performance and felt delighted to seize the gold," Fan said after his fourth appearance in the singles final at the National Games.

"Each Games tells a new story at different stages of my career. It is always difficult to top the podium at the National Games. What I need to do is to keep improving my skills and mentality. My next goal is to help Shanghai achieve a great result in the team event," Fan said.

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Fan won both the men's singles and team gold medals, becoming the 11th player in history to achieve a career Grand Slam of Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cup.

Despite a runner-up finish, Lin already made history, becoming the first Hainan paddler to reach the final at the National Games.

"This medal has exceeded my anticipation. I am satisfied with my performance, feeling proud to win the honor for my hometown," said Lin.

Earlier in the day, world No. 1 Wang Chuqin of Beijing cruised past Liaoning's Yuan Licen 11-9, 11-8, 4-11, 11-5, 11-7 to secure bronze.