TIANJIN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The men's singles final of the Chinese national table tennis championships on Monday night saw Hou Yingchao, a former national team player, defeat Wang Chuqin 4-0 and reclaim his championship mantle after 19 years.
In 2000, Hou took out Guo Jinhao of Shanghai 3-0 and claimed his first title in the men's singles. This year, the 37-year-old from Shaanxi Province made it through to the final again all the way from the qualifying competitions.
Although Wang took the initiative at first to gain game point at 11-10, Hou surpassed him by winning the next three points. In the following three games, Hou held the lead until the end at 11-7, 11-9 and 11-2, giving no chances to his opponent.
"I think luck has come my way because I felt comfortable competing with other players in the last games. We would have had a tough battle but for Wang's shoulder injuries," Hou said after the competition.
