Ding Ning reaches last 16 at table tennis worlds

China's Ding Ning (front) prepares to serve to compatriot Hu Limei in their women's singles match at the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Paris, May 16, 2013. The 52nd edition of the World Table Tennis Championships gathers 829 athletes from 162 countries and runs from May 13 to May 20. [Photo/Agencies]

PARIS - Top seed and defending champion Ding Ning breezed past fellow Chinese Hu Limei in straight sets to enter the last 16 at the World Table Tennis Championships here on Thursday.

Ding, the silver medallist at last year's London Olympics, lost to Hu twice at the national qualifiers but proved too much for her 18-year-old chopper, winning 11-2, 11-8, 11-5 and 11-2.

"I took advantage of her playing style because normally a chopper is slower to find the rhythm," Ding said.