From October 1 to 11, the WTT China Smash was held at Shougang Park in Beijing. It is one of WTT’s four Grand Smash events each year, and the champion earns 2,000 world-ranking points — the highest-stakes commercial tournament short of the Olympics.

In the women’s singles final, top seed Wang Manyu swept Japan’s chopper Hitomi Sato 4-0 (11-2, 11-8, 11-3, 11-9) to defend her title and claim her fourth Grand Smash singles crown. Sato became the first chopper ever to reach a WTT Grand Smash singles final — itself a signal that defensive play is finding room again under today’s equipment and rules. Wang said afterwards she had not expected 4-0; the key was a steady mind and disciplined execution of her tactics.

The men’s singles final went seven games, with world No. 1 Sora Matsushima edging Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-ju 4-3. Matsushima held off Lin’s fightback in the decider to take the heaviest singles title of his career so far.

The doubles threw up surprises too: Wang Manyu/Kuai Man retained the women’s doubles 3-1 over Miwa Harimoto/Hina Hayata (13-11, 11-2, 9-11, 11-7); Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon/Oh Jun-sung took men’s doubles against the Lebrun brothers; and Lim/Shin Yu-bin won mixed doubles over Lin Yun-ju/Cheng I-ching. Korea left Beijing with two doubles titles.

The number worth China noting is two — out of five titles on offer, China took only women’s singles and women’s doubles. At the 2025 China Smash it had swept all five. On September 30, Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin withdrew through injury, thinning the men’s singles depth directly; only Zhou Qihao reached the last four among Chinese men, and he fell 2-4 to Matsushima in the semifinals.

Winning just two titles at home is a reminder that goes beyond “two stars were injured.” It shows that, without Lin and Wang, China’s men’s singles is not safe against the world’s top ten — and that Korea’s two doubles titles reflect foreign associations now fielding stable, well-drilled pairings. The Grand Smash carries the biggest points and prize money; losing here matters more than losing at an ordinary challenger event.