Hong Kong guaranteed bronze in mixed doubles at world table tennis championships

Promising Wong Chun-ting shrugged off sore legs to team up with Doo Hoi-kem in the mixed doubles to guarantee Hong Kong's first medal at the Table Tennis World Championships in Suzhou, China, on Wednesday night.

Although they will be underdogs in the semi-finals against the powerful China/South Korea combination of Xu Xin and Yang Ha-eun, there is no play-off for third place, so they get a bronze - even in defeat.

The Hong Kong pair crushed Pawel Fertikowski and Katarzyna Grzybowska of Poland 4-0, just 30 minutes after Wong completed his singles second-round match with a 4-1 win over Paul Drinkhall of England.

"I was of course tired after the singles match, but I had to give it all in the following match with a medal at stake," said the 23-year-old Wong. "I wanted to win a medal and I am so happy that target has been achieved. Against Xu and Yang it will be very tough, but everything now is a bonus."

Coach Leung Chu-yan said it was a case of willpower overcoming the mind. "He knew there was a medal on offer and his performance was impressive. Doo also played a good complementary role," said Leung.

Meanwhile, time is catching up with Hong Kong veteran Tie Yana, but she is still targeting next year's Rio Olympics.