Gold medalist Sun Yingsha of China reacts during the awarding ceremony for the women's singles event at ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025 in Doha, Qatar, May 25, 2025. (Xinhua/He Zhangshan)

by sportswriters Cao Jianjie and Wang Zijiang

DOHA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Sun Yingsha emerged from a seven-set thriller as a great champion.

The world No. 1 retained her women's singles title in a pulsating final against teammate Wang Manyu, in what will go down in World Table Tennis Championships history as one of the all-time classic matches.

Leading 3-2 in sets and 10-6 in the sixth, Sun looked poised to wrap up the match, only to see Wang mount a remarkable comeback.

Displaying strong tenacity and determination, Wang saved four match points--helped in part by an edge ball at 9-10--before taking the set 13-11 to force a decider.

Sun wasn't herself in the early stages of the seventh set and trailed 0-3, then 5-7. However, showing a steely mentality, she pulled off a stunning 6-0 run to seal the victory.

"Both Wang and I are the winners," said Sun after the 88-minute game.

The 24-year-old Chinese player stated that she had become maturer from the Doha World Championships, in which she also paired with Wang Chuqin to claim their third straight mixed doubles title.

"I have learned a lot and become maturer," she said.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, who watched the women's singles final and attended the award ceremony, lauded Sun as "a great champion."

"You saw Sun Yingsha reacting to the edge ball, even with a smile," Bach said to a Xinhua reporter. "Other athletes would have ended up in pure desperation while being down 0-3 in the seventh set after this edge ball."

"This is the wood out of which great champions are carved, right?" ■