World Championships: Wang and Sun defend Mixed Doubles title
Doha: Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha have etched their names deeper into table tennis history, successfully defending their title to become Mixed Doubles World Champions once again at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025.
The reigning Olympic champions and now three-time Mixed Doubles World champions held their nerve under pressure to defeat Maharu Yoshimura and Satsuki Odo of Japan in the final, securing the Heydusek Cup with a commanding 3-1 victory (11-7, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8) in front of a packed crowd at Lusail Sports Arena.
The win cements China’s dominance in the discipline, marking a fourth consecutive Mixed Doubles triumph at the World Championships Finals, and a continued era of excellence for Wang and Sun, who also claimed Olympic gold together at Paris 2024.
From the opening rally, Wang and Sun imposed their authority on the match, striking with trademark pace and precision to set the tone. Yoshimura, a former champion himself (2017), and Odo, enjoying a breakout week in Doha, offered creative angles and fearless aggression, pushing the defending champions into extended rallies and tight deuce moments. But when it mattered most, the Chinese duo’s experience and synergy proved decisive.
For Yoshimura and Odo, their run to the final was spectacular; including a quarterfinal win over the top-seeded pair Lin Shidong and Kuai Man. Their silver medal continues Japan’s stunning consistency in the discipline, with a Japanese duo now reaching the Mixed Doubles final at six consecutive World Championships Finals.
Lim Jonghoon and Shin Yubin from Korea Republic, and Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem from Hong Kong, China earned bronze medals after hard-fought semifinal finishes, reinforcing Asia’s continued dominance in the Mixed Doubles discipline and completing an all-Asian podium in Doha.
