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.

(People's Daily October 7, 2002)