Jang wins three titles at World Tour Korea Open

DAEJEON, South Korea: South Korea’s Jang Woo-jin won the men’s singles and doubles titles at the Korea Open Sunday, the first player in the history of the ITTF World Tour event to secure three golds in the same tournament.

The previous day he had won the mixed doubles by pairing with North Korea’s Cha Hyo Sim.

On Sunday he partnered Lim Jong-hoon to success in the men’s doubles. The number 6 seeds beat the top seeds Hong Kong’s Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting 11-8, 19-17, 9-11, 11-9.

Jang closed the curtain by overcoming China’s Liang Jinkun 11-8, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 in the men’s singles final.

“This is beyond my expectations. I’m very happy. This would have been impossible without support from fans,” he said.

Liang said his strategy had been faulty but acknowledged that Jang had “played very well”.

China’s Zhu Yuling beat compatriot Chen Meng in five games 11-4, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 to win the women’s singles title.

China’s Cheng Meng and Ding Ning won the women’s doubles title by beating compatriots Wang Manyu and Zhu Yuling 14-12, 9-11, 11-9, 13-11.

The tournament featured four unified teams from North and South Korea — in the men’s and women’s doubles and two mixed doubles teams. The unified Korea team won the mixed doubles and took a bronze in the men’s doubles.

It was the first gold medal won by an joint Korean sports team in nearly three decades. A women’s joint table tennis team scored a shock victory over reigning champion China in the world championship in Japan in 1991.