Ding Ning of China returns the ball during a game against Lin Ye of Singapore at the fourth round of Women's group matches of 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Halmstad, Sweden, May 1, 2018. Ding won the game by 3-1, and team China won the match by 3-1. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)
HALMSTAD, Sweden, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Despite losing their first game in the tournament, China's women's team defeated 2010 world champions Singapore 3-1 in the fourth round of the 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Halmstad, Sweden on Tuesday.
Faced with little resistance in the first three matches of Group A, reigning champions China saw their first real challenge in Singapore, who beat the favourites China 3-1 in the 2010 World Championships final in Moscow.
China, however, sent veteran Ding Ning and current world No. 1 Chen Meng, paired with 19-year-old Wang Manyu to confront world No. 4 Feng Tianwei.
The encounter started smoothly for China, as Wang won the first set 11-4 against 31-year-old Feng. Bouncing back tenaciously, the Chinese born player won three intense sets in a row 13-11, 14-12 and 14-12.
Trailing for the first time, Ding and Chen stepped up in the next two games, pushing China ahead 2-1, defeating Lin Ye and Zhang Wanling without dropping a set in the process.
Rio Olympic champion Ding dominated the fourth game against Feng, sealing the match for China. In Group B, title contender Japan got on top of No.7 seed Austria without losing a set.
