by Wade Townsend 

Ding Ning has defeated Liu Shiwen in the final of the Women’s Singles at the China National Games on Wednesday 6th September.

She succeeded (13-15, 11-3, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9) in an evenly matched game in the Tianjin Olympic Center.

“I firmly executed my tactics throughout the whole match,” said Ding after the game.

After the fifth game we both changed our clothes. During the short break, my coach Guo Yan reminded me to stay patient and play determinedly when back off the court; because Liu Shien is the kind of player that attacks really fast, while I’m not.”

With the title sown up, Ding will be looking at have a break from training and competition.

“I want to rest. Because from the first day to the last match, the most important match, the whole.competition is really difficult. I think the process is painful for all players.” Ding Ning

Liu Shiwen has found herself coming up short against Ding Ning in finals on multiple occasions, and while she was happy with her general play, she knows she is still lacking something to get her over the line.

“My overall performance was okay,” said Liu Shiwen following the defeat. “I managed to solve problems during the match. Indeed if we take a look at the score: I lost too fast in three games. It’s mainly because my qi and energy is not enough.”