Last year’s runner-up beat 2013 champion XU Xin in five games to clinch his first ever title
FAN Zhendong did one more big achievement after his recent victory against World and Olympic champion MA Long at China Open taking the title of LIEBHERR 2016 ITTF Men’s World Cup in Saarbrucken. The 19-year-old Chinese last year’s runner-up in Halmstad Sweden now beat his compatriot and 2013 winner XU Xin in five games of the final.
Newly crowned champion easily took first three sets of the final clash but XU won fourth one and led 4:0 in the fifth game. FAN managed to reverse the game at 6:5 and lift the trophy after his second match ball (12:10).
Kristian KARLSSON from Sweden finished on the fourth spot as he lost both his today’s matches in five games: in the semi-final he was beaten by FAN and finally in the bronze medal contest by Hong Kong’s WONG Chun Ting.
Swede actual World No. 29 missed a set ball for 2:0 lead. WONG responded by three points in a row in the decisive moments of the game. However KARLSSON did a nice job in Saarbrucken bearing in mind that he beat 2015 bronze medalist and one of favorites Dimitrij OVTCHAROV.
Semi-finals
FAN Zhendong (CHN) – Kristian KARLSSON (SWE) 4:1 (11:4 11:8 7:11 11:9 11:7)
WONG Chun Ting (HKG) – XU Xin (CHN) 1:4 (9:11 15:13 7:11 3:11 6:11)
3rd place match
Kristian KARLSSON (SWE) – WONG Chun Ting (HKG) 1:4 (11:8 10:12 6:11 9:11 7:11)
Final
FAN Zhendong (CHN) – XU Xin (CHN) 4:1 (11:5 11:6 11:8 7:11 12:10)
