Ning and Yuling defeat holders to earn ITTF World Tour Grand Finals women’s doubles crown

Ding Ning and Zhu Yuling earned the women's doubles crown in Portugal ©Rémy Gros/ITTF

China’s Ding Ning and Zhu Yuling were crowned International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour Grand Finals women’s doubles champions after ending the reign of Japan’s Miu Hirano and Mima Ito in Lisbon, Portugal.

Hirano and Ito, who made history last year when they became the tournament's youngest ever women's doubles champions at just 14, reached the gold medal contest with an impressive 11-7, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 victory over Hong Kong’s Jiang Huajun and Ti Yana.

Their final opponents Ning and Yuling, who had brushed aside South Korean duo Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun in their semi-final, proved to have too much for the teenagers as they claimed all four games to seal gold in stunning style, 11-5, 11-3, 11-9, 11-4.

Despite disappointment in the women’s doubles, Japan were able to celebrate after Masataka Morizono and Yuya Oshima stormed to victory in the men’s competition.

The duo had brushed aside South Korea’s Youngsik Ung and Minseok Kim 11-9, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 in the semi-final and followed up that victory by cruising to an 11-6, 8-11, 13-11, 12-10, 11-8 win over Portugal’s Joao Monteiro and Tiago Apolonia in the gold medal match.

China are guaranteed success in the men’s singles event after all four our their quarter-finalists earned victories in their respective matches.

Jike Zhang will face Ma Long, who superbly saw off the challenge of Germany’s Dimitriji Ovtcharov by winning 11-9, 11-5, 12-10, 11-4 in their last eight contest.

Home favourites Joao Monteiro and Tiago Apolonia were beaten in the men's doubles final ©Rémy Gros/ITTF

Zhendong Fan also looked in fine form as he was able to dispatch Chinese Taipei’s Chaung Chih-Yuan in straight games, 12-10, 11-4, 14-12, 11-3 to set up a contest against Xu Xin, who beat Belarus’ Vladimir Samsonov 12-10, 12-14, 3-11, 12-10, 8-11,10-12.

Yuling Zhu and Chen Meng continued Chinese success after advancing to the semi-final of the women’s singles event, with the latter ending her compatriot Liu Shiwen’s challenge for a fourth Grand Finals title by winning 11-3, 8-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-5 against the World Championship silver medallist.

Having won doubles gold with Yuling Zhu, Ding Ning will have to overcome her team-mate to reach the singles final after she beat Germany’s Han Ying 8-11,11-7,11-3,11-7,9-11,11-3, while South Korea's Jihee Jeon will meet Meng after overcoming Japan’s Misako Wakamiya 11-8, 8-11, 6-11, 11-9, 10-12, 8-11.