World table tennis mixed doubles top-ranked pair Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin staged a dramatic comeback to win the WTT China Smash title, overcoming an eight-point deficit in the fourth game and an early deficit in the fifth to defeat Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching 3-2.
Lim and Shin Stage Epic Comeback at Infinity Arena
South Korea’s top-ranked mixed doubles pair, Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin, secured the World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash championship on Oct. 9 after defeating Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching 3-2 at Infinity Arena in Shougang Park, Beijing. The victory erased the disappointment of a 16th-round exit at the previous year’s tournament and preserved their world No. 1 ranking.
The final was a tightly contested affair that lasted five games, ending with set scores of 12-14, 11-9, 16-18, 13-11, and 11-8 in favor of the South Korean duo. While Lim and Shin held a 3-1-1 historical head-to-head advantage coming into the match, the Taiwanese pair pushed them to the brink through aggressive early rallies and extended deuce exchanges.
Championship Points Slip Away in Game Four
The turning point of the final occurred in the fourth game, where Lin and Jung held a commanding 10-3 lead and stood just one point away from capturing the title. Taiwanese media outlets reported that the pair missed eight championship points across the match, including a 5-1 lead in the fifth and deciding game.
Facing seven consecutive match points at 3-10 in the fourth game, Lim and Shin abandoned conservative play and mounted an aggressive offensive counter. They scored seven straight points to level the score at 10-10, subsequently saving another match point before taking the game 13-11 to force a decider.
The Taiwanese pair’s inability to close out the match proved costly as Taiwan sought its first-ever Grand Smash title.
Final Game Decider Secures the Title
Carrying the momentum from their fourth-game escape, Lim and Shin faced another deficit at the start of the fifth game, falling behind 1-5. However, the South Korean pair rattled off eight unanswered points to seize control.
Lim sealed the championship by converting the 11th point with a powerful backhand attack, locking in the 11-8 final game score. Japanese and Taiwanese sports media described the encounter as an epic, miraculous turnaround given the statistical improbability of overcoming a 3-10 deficit in a Grand Smash final.
Player Reactions Following the Victory
Reflecting on the grueling match, Lim credited his partner for maintaining composure under immense pressure. “It was a really tough match, and I am glad and very grateful to be able to overcome that difficult match together with Shin Yu-bin,” Lim stated, according to Japanese table tennis publication Rallys. “I think we were able to get a good result in the end because I believed in Shin Yu-bin until the very end.”
Shin echoed those sentiments, noting that her focus remained entirely on the table rather than the scoreboard. “I didn’t care about the score and just focused on the contents of the game,” Shin said. “And since Lim Jong-hoon was responsible for most of the points next to me, I worked hard with the feeling of cheering him on from the side.”
Next Scheduled Matches for the Champions
Following their victory at the WTT China Smash, Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin turn their attention to upcoming international events on the World Table Tennis calendar, where they will defend their top ranking against the world’s elite mixed doubles pairs.
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