S'pore paddlers on target for clean sweep with mixed doubles win
Singapore's charge towards a clean sweep of all seven table tennis gold medals at the 28th SEA Games continues as Yang Zi and Yu Mengyu won the mixed doubles at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night.
Showing top-notch technique, superb composure, lightning reflexes and tremendous understanding, the Singaporeans beat Thailand's Padasak Tanviriyavechakul and Suthasini Sawettabut 4-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6) to claim the third of seven table tennis golds on offer.
Lin Ye/Zhou Yihan and Gao Ning/Li Hu had already pocketed the women's and men's doubles gold on Tuesday.
Team Singapore did not have it all their way, however, as Padasak Tanviriyavechakul once again proved to be the party pooper.
A day after he partnered Chanakarn Udomsilp to deny an all-Singaporean men's doubles final, the 19-year-old teamed up with Suthasini to repeat the feat in the mixed doubles.
Earlier in the evening, they came from two sets down to beat Li Hu and Zhou Yihan 4-3 (1-11, 5-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8) in the mixed doubles semi-final.
However, Yang and Yu were just too good for the Thais, who had to settle for silver.
If the Republic can emerge victorious again in the men's and women's singles finals tomorrow, they will all but complete the clean sweep, with just the men's and women's team events - which Singapore are overwhelming favourites to win - to come.
Singapore are the only team in SEA Games history to achieve the clean sweep of all seven table tennis gold when they swatted aside all opposition in Korat 2007.
Read the full report in our print edition on June 4.
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