No pressure in all-Chinese final, says Fan

Rising Chinese star Fan Zhengdong teamed up with Zhou Yu to beat a Japanese team for the men's doubles final at the Table Tennis World Championships on Saturday, and Fan felt no pressure on their side while playing against the other Chinese pair in the final.

Fan/Zhou whitewashed Japan's Kenta Matsudaira and Koki Niwa 4-0 in the semifinals while home favorites and Chinese teammates Zhang Jike and Xu Xin took the other final berth after beating a South Korean team to set up an all-Chinese men's doubles final.

"It will be an all-Chinese final, and I think the pressure will be mounting on their side," Fan said.

"Of course, we want to win so bad."

Fan/Zhou were in control throughout the semifinal match, winning 11-6, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6.

Fan said: "We prepared for the game well and we came here to fight and the game went well. This is the first time I play in the semifinal of men's doubles event so I was really excited."

"We studied their routine, where they usually placed the ball. That way we can predicte where they will place the ball and we were in position."

Fan, the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics champion, will also play against German veteran Timo Boll in the men's singles quarterfinal.

"I know this day would come right after I saw the draw and I'm looking forward to playing against him. It's a great opportunity to play against such a competitive player in the quarterfinal of the world championships." Endi