China's all-conquering women paddlers took a clean sweep of the three medals in the Olympic singles table tennis competition on Friday.

World number one Zhang Yining won her fourth Olympic gold, after beating veteran Wang Nan 4-1 in an all-Chinese final of the women's singles table tennis competition.

Zhang won 8-11, 13-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3, becoming the third Chinese table tennis player to pocket four Olympic golds, after Deng Yaping and Wang.

It was also the 19th Olympic gold medal that China won in table tennis since its national sport was introduced at the 1988 Seoul Games.

"As a native of Beijing, I wanted so much to win the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics," Zhang said. "My parents came to watch me play for the first time and it felt as if I was playing at home."

"The final was very tough but I think it was a perfect ending," she added.

Zhang, 27 years old, tried to evade the question if she would take part in the 2012 London Games, saying that she would not think about the issue at the moment but "age will not be a big problem."

World champion Guo Yue finished third, after fighting off a strong challenge from Singapore's Li Jia Wei 4-2. Guo failed to reach the final because of her 4-2 loss to "Big Sister" Wang, who is going to retire and determined to win as much as possible at her last Olympic Games.

Wang said earlier this year that competing in the Olympics on home soil and even winning a gold medal would be the perfect way to wrap up her career. The 30-year-old is the sport's most decorated player, with more than 20 world titles.

After winning her fourth Olympic gold in the team event, Wang showed no signs of slowing down in her drive for another medal in the singles. Her fans cheered her on and her husband watched the match from the stand.

"I did have great pressure during the team event because I was afraid that I could not prove to be the best," Wang said. "But I began to enjoy myself since I beat Tie Yana (of Hong Kong, China) in the quarterfinal."

"After 20 years of winning and losing in table tennis matches, I want to change my life style. I will find a job I like so that I can continue to do something for the country," she said.

The bronze medal is a disappointment for Guo, who had rarely finished lower than second in international singles tournaments in the last two years.

"Although I failed to win the most beautiful gold medal, the bronze is also significant for me," Guo said. "After the loss in the morning, my mind was in a mess. But I managed to calm down and forget the morning match and focus on one in the evening."

"When the match was at 2-2, my coach told me to stop thinking about the final result, but to think about each point in detail," the 20-year-old added.

Her coach Kong Linghui, who won men's singles gold at the Sydney Games, said that "Mentally, Guo is not as sophisticated as Zhang and Wang in major competitions."

When asked what the veteran had to say to her younger teammate Guo, Wang pondered a moment and said "All she needs is time."

(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2008)