Winner China's Fan Zhendong celebrates with his trophy during the awarding ceremony for the men's singles event at the 23rd ITTF Asian Table Tennis championships in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, April 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)
Defending champion Fan Zhendong terminated Jeong Sang Eun's giant killing run here on Sunday, beating the Chinese-born Korean 3-0 for the men's singles glory of the Asian table tennis championships.
The world No. 2, just 20 years old, denied a late comeback from the 27-year-old Jeong and rounded up the final 11-5, 11-5, 11-8, though the latter played some real brilliant table tennis with powerful forehand in the third set.
It has been the eighth trophy in a row of men's singles for the all-time leading China, who has pocketed 20 titles of the event out of 23 editions of the continental tourney.
Fan came to the last hurdle of his defending campaign after racing against the loud crowd to beat local favorite Zhang Jike 3-1, while Jeong beat off another dark horse Koki Niwa 3-2 to reach final.
In the previous round of the men's singles play, the Korean ousted top seed Ma Long in the round of 32 and the Japanese Niwa showed the door out for China's best pen-hold player Xu Xin in the quarterfinals.
