Korean duo stun China, win WTT Finals historic

The “golden duo” of Lim Jong-hoon, 28, of the Korea Exchange and Shin Yu-bin, 21, of Korean Air captured the title at the World Table Tennis Hong Kong Finals 2025, defeating China, often dubbed the “Great Wall,” to become the first South Korean players to win the tournament.

Lim and Shin swept China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha 3-0 in the mixed doubles final held on Dec. 13 in Hong Kong, winning 11-9, 11-8 and 11-6. Wang and Sun are the world No. 1 players in men’s and women’s singles, respectively. The Hong Kong Finals is a champions-style event that invites only top-ranked players based on ranking points accumulated in WTT series events, including Grand Smash, Champions and Contender tournaments.

Before this tournament, the Lim-Shin pairing had faced Wang and Sun six times and lost on each occasion. They were defeated 4-2 in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics last year and suffered a straight-game loss in the semifinals of the World Table Tennis Championships in Doha in May. Widely regarded as the dominant forces in men’s and women’s singles, Wang and Sun had been unbeaten for 18 months entering the final.

Lim and Shin, however, carried strong momentum into the final after a 3-1 semifinal victory over China’s Lin Shidong and Kuai Man. They took control from the opening stages. In the first game, with the score tied at 9-9, Lim delivered a powerful attack, and the set ended moments later when Wang’s return went long. In the second game, the South Korean pair again withstood China’s rally, then closed out the match in the third game without facing a serious challenge.

After the match, Shin said, “Thanks to Jong-hoon’s strong support, I was able to get off to a good start.” She added, “I would also like to express my appreciation to our opponents for fighting until the end despite their injuries.” Sun competed despite injuring her left ankle in the women’s singles semifinals earlier in the tournament. Shin was also not at full strength after suffering a knee ligament injury during the mixed team World Cup, which concluded on the 8th in Chengdu, China.

Lim, who married on Nov. 30 but postponed his honeymoon to prepare for the tournament, said the victory was the best possible wedding gift for his bride. “I am grateful to Yu-bin for giving her all until the end despite not being in perfect physical condition,” he said. “I am happy that we were able to win.”


조영우 기자 jero@donga.com