Cao wins the gold in style!(1983 Tokyo)

Cao Yanhua has effectively etched her name as one of the finest ever to play and win the World Championships after that performance! The penholder was simply too goo for Yang Young Ja with her excellent serves and fast forehand allowing for her to use the smooth reversed rubber using one side of the racket only.

Winning 3-1 (21-9, 10-21, 21-9, 21-13), this was only the second game she dropped in this campaign, with the previous one in the quarter-final against facing Ni Xialian. This makes it the first gold medal in the women’s singles at the World Championships for Cao, after she finished as the runner-up in 1981.

It’s time for the final! (1983 Tokyo)

Welcome to the women’s singles final here at the 1983 World Table Tennis Championships in Tokyo, Japan!

The athletes are here and we are ready to go! This will certainly be an engaging contest between China’s Cao Yanhua and the sensation from the semi-finals, Yang Young Ja from Korea Republic.

Yang produces magic in the semis!(1983 Tokyo)

Yang Young Ja has secured a win in what will surely be one of the best matches ever at the World Championships!

The Korea Republic athlete sensationalized the crowd as she recovered from 0-2 down against China’s Huang Jungun to win in a five game contest like no other (19-21, 21-23, 21-16, 21-19, 23-21). Huang was left stunned in a match she was certain was going her way, even in the fifth game where she got so close to clinching the win, but Yang completely stole it away at the end! 

Guo continues his defending run (1983 Tokyo)

Guo Yuehua, the defending World Champion, has just seen off his Chinese compatriot, Fan Changmao in a 3-1 win (21-17, 22-20, 16-21, 21-10).

Guo was immensely determined in his shots and clearly wanted to avoid a long drawn out match against Fan – as was evident by his short rallies and quick counters. Fan won the third game but it was too late to recover, and Guo made sure there was no comeback on the horizon.

Jiang clinches Chinese domestic (1983 Tokyo)

What a battle we have just witnessed here at the World Championships in Tokyo! Jiang Jialiang has come back flying into this quarter-final and in some style, playing his Chinese teammate Chen Xinhua.

Despite losing the first game, Jiang was unfazed in his form of attack and managed to keep pushing on beyond the defensive tactics of Chen. Winning 3-2 (21-23, 21-15, 21-23, 21-19, 21-17), Jiang has really marathoned his way into the semi finals!