In another shock upset in three days, world table tennis powerhouse
China was shut out of the final of the 14th Asian Games table
tennis mixed doubles event on Sunday afternoon.
China's Wang Liqin and Wang Nan lost to Chinese Hong Kong's Cheung
Yuk and Tie Yana 3-4 while the other Chinese duo Ma Lin and Li Nan
lost to host players Ryu Seung-min and Ryu Ji-hae 2-4 in the
semifinals.
The Hong Kong and South Korean pairs will be fighting for the gold
in about 30 minutes.
In
the women's team final on Friday evening, the all-star Chinese
paddlers suffered their first shock defeat by 1-3 to the DPR
Koreans, team runners-up of both the previous Asian Games and last
year's world championships.
China has always assumed dominance in the mixed doubles event, and
has never lost the Asiad gold since it started to compete in the
regional Olympics in the 1970s.
(
October 7, 2002)