Jang Woojin (Photo WTT)
Korean Jang Woojin and China’s resurgent Sun Yongsha have claimed the WTT Champions Montpellier table tennis titles
Woojin won his first WTT Champions title, coming back from 3-1 down against Patrick Franziska to win the men’s singles title with a 3-11, 11-7, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8 scoreline.
Meanwhile, Yingsha is back to winning ways, claiming her 20th WTT Series title after beating Kuai Man in the women’s singles final 8-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-9, 11-6.
This match was huge for both players, with neither having won a WTT Champions event before. In last meeting between Woojin and Franziska, it was the Korean who won 3-2 in the Round of 32 at United States Smash. However, in their most high-profile match, the Saudi Smash 2024 semifinal, Franziska won a seven-game epic, becoming the first European to reach a WTT Grand Smash final.
To the delight of the thousands of fans who crammed into Sud de France ARENA, Franziska was on fire, stunning Woojin by going up 1-9 in a Game One slugfest, with both players trading blows from way behind the table.
The perfect start from Franziska, whose backhand was absolutely booming in game one, faded in the second, as Woojin started to show up, building a 7-2 lead with a strong service game where he limited rallies to just three shots.
But the former World No.8 Franziska quickly adapted and got back to within just one point, and Woojin triggered his time-out, which was just what he needed to get back on level terms.
Franziska, playing in his 19th WTT Champions event, quickly brushed off that loss and was back in control, leading 1-5 by outsmarting Woojin with cracking backhands that would totally wrong-foot the WTT Champions Doha 2026 runner-up.
Despite the World No.10 Woojin twice bringing it back to within one point, Franziska had him on the ropes with four Game Points, which he took on his second attempt, and at 2-1 up in the match, the 34-year-old was halfway there.
The World No.10 Woojin needed to find solutions, but he just couldn’t shake off the German giant who stayed with him the whole way to 9-9 in the fifth. It was a big moment in the match now, and Franziska had the chance to serve out the game. He took the first after returning a ball from Woojin that almost hit the ceiling, then wowed everyone watching by going up 3-1 when hitting back everything that was thrown at him when he was way behind the table.
The former World No.8, who has made the semifinals twice at this level, was now one game away from one of the biggest titles of his career.
World No.10 Woojin had shown great mental strength all week, going the distance in three of his four games, but that also takes a physical toll, and Franziska was able to mount a comeback when down 7-3 in the fifth to level at 9-9, cueing huge cheers from everyone inside Infinity ∞ Arena.
This time, it was Woojin serving for the game, and the Korean star duly obliged, saying the show must go on.
Even with chants of “Patrick” ringing down from the stands, Woojin was unfazed, and the thundering forehands continued, and he confirmed this thrilling match would go to seven games when he scored seven from a possible nine at the end of the sixth.
You would expect momentum to be with Woojin after winning the last two games, but there was nothing between these two. After the change of ends, Woojin took the game’s first two-point lead, but Franziska stayed with him, and they were level at 8-8.
Franziska went for a run around the table between points to hype himself up and shake off the nerves. On the other side, Woojin was as cool as could be, and set up championship point with a lean-back forehand that looked like it could break the sound barrier.
He was on the cusp, and when Woojin came out on top of another thrilling rally for the title, the Korea Republic king collapsed to the floor with a mix of exhaustion and jubilation.
Yingsha back at the top
Meeting for the first time since Yingsha won the US Smash 2026 final, a match where Man fought back from 3-1 down to force a decider, these two were again back at the table with the potential to leave as a champion.
Yingsha has dominated the WTT head-to-head between these two, winning five from seven, but they were evenly matched in the opening stages of game one in Montpellier, with nothing separating them after 12 points.
Hunting her first WTT Champions title, World No.5 Man stepped up to the occasion, engaging in fast-paced rallies as she started to pull away from the former World No.1 to set up two game points, both of which were on Yingsha’s serve, but she only needed one to get off the mark.
Man’s electric start continued into game two, and she was playing at blistering speed, moving Yingsha from corner to corner. In response, Yingsha also went up a gear, and just like game one, we were level after 12.
This time, however, it was the eight-time WTT Champions winner Yingsha who took six from a possible eight to get four game points and respond to that opening first-game loss in the best way possible.
“We know each other very well and are quite evenly matched. Kuai Man, in particular, has shown significant progress and a very high level of play recently. So I wanted to play freely, without putting too much pressure on myself, and focus on challenging her throughout the match,” said Yingsha.
Yingsha was in her flow state now, and demonstrated lightning-fast reactions to handle anything Man was throwing at her. After squeezing past Shin Yubin and Hina Hayata earlier this week, we were now seeing the version of Yingsha that dominated the game for so long as she took game three with an eight-point advantage.
The match had entered a crucial stage: if Man could not halt Yingsha, she’d be one game away from losing her second WTT Champions final of the year; win Game Four, however, and it could go either way.
It’s been an incredibly demanding day. In the semifinals, I had already played a seven-game battle, with almost every game going down to the crucial points. I went from leading 3–0 to eventually winning 4–3. Then, less than three hours later, I had to play the Women’s Singles final. It was physically taxing,” said Yingsha.
The 22-year-old Man, who has five WTT Senior titles, could not have asked for a better start, and she went straight on the attack and was closing in on the finish line at 4-8, but Yingsha fought back brilliantly, and we were level again at 9-9.
A fierce rally with Yingsha peppering Man with a blistering backhand was the first point, while game point came from a lucky net ball. Yingsha now had one hand on the trophy.
I’m really happy to have won the title here in Montpellier. It’s my first time competing at a WTT Champions event in France, so this victory is special to me. France will also host the World Cup Singles next year, so I see this as a very good start to my time competing here,” added Yingsha.
Trailing 4-2, it was now or never for Man, but she just couldn’t halt the behemoth opposite her, and Yingsha took her first of four championship points and claimed the title, her ninth at this level, in just 38 minutes.
