Dubai: Liu Shiwen, the Chinese world No.1, prevailed over number two Ding Ning to help herself to a third straight title at the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals at Al Nasr Club late on Saturday. Liu won the match 4-2 (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 4-11, 11-7).
Entering the competition as the hot favourite despite being seeded second, Liu mixed agression with some clever attacking play to deny Ding for the third straight time.
“I wanted this very badly and it hurts to end as a loser once again,” Ding told Gulf News.
“I did not make a good start and that did not help my confidence at all. I made some silly mistakes in the first, third and fourth games and that proved to be the difference between us,” the 23-year-old added.
The two players have met in the finals of the last two editions of this competition and it has been Liu who has tamed Ding on both occasions, in Hangzhou last year and in London (2011).
“What more can I do to win?” Ding wondered. “I will continue working hard and hope that the next time I play against Liu, I am the winner,” she said.
Liu was unavailable for comment as she was ushered away by ITTF Promotion Manager Matt Pound for a television interview. Media personnel who had been waiting for nearly 20 minutes to meet the new champion were told by Pound they could have 15 seconds for questions with Liu.
Liu was easily the better player on Saturday. The 23-year-old engaged Ding in lengthy fast-paced rallies forcing the left-handed top seed into unforced errors.
Liu took the opening game 11-9 only to see Ding draw level after winning the second 11-9. Liu won the next two games 11-9 and 11-4, but Ding returned the favour by winning the fifth 11-4 before Liu wrapped things up with a 11-7 scoreline in the sixth game.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s Gao Ning and Li Hu successfully defended their men’s doubles title to become only the second pair in the tournament’s doubles competition to do so since the Grand Finals began in 1996.
Winners in Hangzhou in December 2012, Gao and Li defeated the Chinese Taipei pair of Chang Hung-Chieh and Huang Sheng-Sheng 4-3 (6-11, 12-10, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9) in an engrossing final. While winning the doubles crown, Gao and Li matched the achievement of China’s Chen Qi and Ma Lin who won successive doubles titles in Guangzhou (2003) and Beijing (2004).
