Sora Matsushima crowned in Beijing – and stays number one

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Sora Matsushima crowned in Beijing – and stays number one.

Thrilling final in the Chinese capital: Sora Matsushima won the WTT China Smash in Beijing on Sunday (October 11) and defended his top spot in the table tennis world rankings. In the final, the Japanese player defeated Taiwan's Lin Yun-Ju 4-3 – a duel that was only decided in the seventh set. Anyone who follows table tennis at world-class level knows: There is currently no way past Matsushima.

As L'Équipe and Ouest-France jointly report, the Japanese player crowned himself at the end of a long tournament day at the WTT Arena in Beijing. Matsushima had already entered the final as world number one and defended both the title and his ranking lead in the direct showdown with Lin Yun-Ju.

How the final unfolded

Seven sets, one winner: The final between Matsushima and Lin Yun-Ju was not for the faint-hearted. The Japanese player trailed at one stage but fought his way back and decided the decisive set in his own favor. Both sources confirm the result of 4-3. Matsushima thus remains the benchmark after this tournament.

What the title means for the world rankings

Matsushima had entered the tournament as the leader and leaves Beijing with his number one position unchanged. For the competition, this means: The Japanese player remains the man to beat if you want to stand at the very top of table tennis. With the points from this China Smash, the rest of the WTT season becomes a catch-up chase for the pursuers.

What happened in the women's event

The women's final also took place on Sunday. According to L'Équipe, China's Wang Manyu secured the title with a clear 4-0 against Japan's Hitomi Sato – a demonstration of power at a home tournament.