Wang, Sun win third straight mixed doubles title at Table Tennis World Championships

China's Olympic champions Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha defeated Maharu Yoshimura and Satsuki Odo of Japan 3-1 to win their third straight mixed doubles title at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday.

The second-seeded Wang and Sun overcame a late push from 16th-seeded Yoshimura and Odo to prevail 11-7, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8 in 39 minutes and win their 16th consecutive match at the event.

"Our rivals posed a great threat with cohesion and tactics, even if they are both right-handed," said Sun. "We trusted each other when the score was close. We shared the same determination to make it three in a row."

Liu Guoliang, First Vice President of the ITTF, presented the championship trophy to the Chinese pair.

Earlier in the day, Wang and Sun both advanced to the men's and women's singles finals, respectively.

Wang claimed a measure of revenge for his Olympic loss to Truls Moregard of Sweden by overcoming a slow start and taking a crucial fourth game to triumph 5-11, 11-8, 11-2, 12-10, 12-10 in 45 minutes.

Wang will face Hugo Calderano for the title. The Brazilian defeated Chinese top seed Liang Jingkun 15-13, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 7-11, 11-9 in the other semifinal match.

Chinese paddlers have locked up the women's singles title in advance, as Sun and Wang Manyu both advanced to the final. Sun cruised past Japan's Mima Ito in straight games 11-7, 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 in one semifinal, while Wang defeated compatriot Chen Xingtong 11-8, 11-8, 11-2, 11-8 on the other side of the bracket.

Sun has a chance to claim three golds in Doha, after she and Kuai Man made light work of fourth-seeded Japanese duo Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara in the women's doubles semifinals 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 in 26 minutes.

The Chinese pair will meet Sofia Polcanova of Austria and Bernadette Szocs of Romania in the final.