"Oppa did it all," said Shin Yu-bin, to whom Lim Jong-hoon replied, "I trusted Yubin." The pair wrote an unscripted drama... A 'comeback' from 3-10 down → WTT China Smash champions

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The Korean table tennis mixed doubles flagship pairing of Lim Jong-hoon (Korea Exchange) and Shin Yu-bin (Korean Air) claimed the top spot at the World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash.

The world No. 1 Lim Jong-hoon-Shin Yu-bin pair defeated the Lin Yun-ju-Chen Yi-ching duo from Chinese Taipei in the mixed doubles final of the tournament, held on the 9th (Korean time) at the Shougang Park Infinity Arena in Beijing, China, with a set score of 3-2 (12-14, 11-9, 16-18, 13-11, 11-8).

With this victory, the Lim Jong-hoon-Shin Yu-bin pair secured their third title of the season, following their wins at the Star Contender Ljubljana in June and the US Smash in July.

The two athletes, who recently recorded a bronze medal after losing to China's Lin Shu-dong-Kuai Man pair in the semifinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, further solidified their position as the world's strongest through this tournament victory. In particular, having defeated the Lin Yun-ju-Chen Yi-ching duo in the Asian Games quarterfinals, they confirmed their clear superiority by winning again in a rematch just over ten days later.

The match was a nail-biting close contest in every set. After dropping the first and third sets following intense deuce battles, leaving them trailing 1-2 in sets, Lim Jong-hoon-Shin Yu-bin found themselves on the brink of defeat after falling behind 3-10 in the fourth set. However, they scored seven consecutive points to reach a 10-10 deuce, before securing a dramatic victory with a score of 13-11. The subsequent fifth set also saw them start at a disadvantage, trailing 1-5, but they tied the game at 5-5 and, capitalizing on opponents' errors among other factors, seized match point to complete a thrilling comeback by winning the game 11-8.

In a post-match interview, Lim Jong-hoon stated, "We were also in a difficult position at the US Smash but turned it around. I reviewed that moment. Trusting (Shin) Yu-bin and playing until the very end was the key to our victory." His partner Shin Yu-bin credited him, saying, "Today, I just stood in front of the table. (Lim) Jong-hoon oppa did everything for me."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original