The South Korean table tennis "golden duo" of Lim Jong-hoon (Korea Exchange) and Shin Yu-bin (Korean Air) has defeated the Chinese pair of Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha to win the World Table Tennis (WTT) US Smash.
In the mixed doubles final held today, the eighth day of the tournament at the Ontario Convention Center in California, USA, Lim and Shin secured a 3-2 victory (11-9, 6-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8) against Wang and Sun after a hard-fought full-game match.
Having previously defeated Wang and Sun to win the WTT Finals, the season-ending championship, last season, Lim and Shin reaffirmed their status as the world's top mixed doubles pair by winning this "rematch" seven months later.
Although Wang and Sun are ranked fifth in the world for mixed doubles, they are undisputed powerhouses who each hold the world number one ranking in men's and women's singles, respectively.
Lim and Shin had recorded six consecutive losses against them before securing their first victory at last year's WTT Finals, and they have now extended that to a two-match winning streak.
Having tasted the thrill of their long-awaited first victory at a Smash tournament, the highest tier of the WTT series, Lim and Shin have further solidified their position as the world number one in mixed doubles.
(Photo: Yonhap News)