World No.1 Ding wins women's singles title

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China's Ding Ning celebrates the victory during Women's Singles Final against her compatriot Liu Shiwen at the 53rd Table Tennis World Championships in Suzhou, city of east China's Jiangsu Province, on May 2, 2015. Ding Ning won the match 4-3 and claimed the title. [Xinhua]

World number one Ding Ning defeated her compatriot and world number two Liu Shiwen in seven sets for women's singles title at the world table tennis championships Saturday evening.

It was Ding's second world championships title after she triumphed in 2011 worlds held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Coming into the final with a favorable 11-6 head-to-head record against Ding, Liu hit top form first and took the opening set at 11-7, but Ding responded quickly by winning the next three sets to lead 3-1 overall.

The momentum, however, was switched to Liu's side as she pulled back two sets to level the match and forced a deciding seventh set.

Trailing 0-2 in the final set, Ding seemed to injure her right ankle while trying to save the ball.

Having received a 10-minute medical treatment, Ding showed her battling qualities at the resumption of the game and overtook the lead at 7-5.

Limping from time to time in the remaining game, Ding kept the pressure upon Liu and never looked back before winning at 11-8.

"I definitely didn't want to give up since I had come so far. I just wanted to give out all my strength in this match. Finally I won the match and I feel that it is just like a dream," Ding said of her injury.

Ding's title is also China's 11th straight women's singles title at the world championships. Chinese women have monopolized the event since 1995, with Deng Yaping winning twice straight, Wang Nan three times in a row, Zhang Yining and Ding twice, Guo Yue and Li Xiaoxia once.

Chinese Mu Zi and Li Xiaoxia finished joint third.

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