At the first attempt, Ding Ning won the Volkswagen Women's World Cup in Singapore on Sunday 30th October 2011 beating Chinese national team colleague, Li Xiao Xiao in the final.
She won in five games:11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 14-12, 11-8.
Not only did she win on her debut in the prestigious annual event, which started in 1996, she followed in illustrious footsteps.
Victory meant she become only the third player to win the Women's Singles title at the World Championships and the Women's World Cup in the same year.
Wang Nan and Zhang Yining
She joined two modern day legends; in 2003 Wang Nan achieved the feat and in 2005 later Zhang Yining secured both titles in the same year.
Potent Weapon
Li Xiaoxia clearly conscious of the Ding Ning lethal weapon, the forehand topspin.
Time and again, Li Xiaoxia directed her attacks towards the backhand of Ding Ning; the problem nowadays is that from the backhand, the blocking skills of Ding Ning are approaching the same level as Zhang Yining showed at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Secure Blocking Skills
The backhand block of Zhang Yining became more and more like a brick wall; Ding Ning is rapidly becoming a stone wall in that department.
In the opening game Ding Ning established an early lead, Li Xiaoxia recovered but was never able to seize the advantage; in the second game, the combatants were level at 4-all; the next two points went to Ding Ning, the next two were shared, the next four all went to Ding Ning. She was two games to nil ahead.
Outstanding Rallies
Outstanding rallies greeted the start of the third game with Li Xiaoxia moving ahead 5-3; outstanding rallies, the most outstanding of all took the score to 5-4.
Li Xiaoxia pinned Ding Ning to the court surrounds, time and again Ding Ning returned high topspin lobs in Jean-Michel Saive mode; then from wide in the forehand, she executed a forehand topspin that left Li Xiaoxia dumbstruck and the crowd in awe.
High Quality
Alas for Ding Ning it was just one point; she deserved five for effort and five for artistic impression. The whole level of the contest had risen to new heights, the highest level; breath-taking table tennis, exhilarating sport; for the record Li Xiaoxia won the game 11-7. Was anyone in the crowd worried who won the game? They were just reveling in the quality of play, the level of entertainment on offer.
The level of consistency was high but in the fourth game the level of consistency from Li Xiaoxia was the higher; especially at the start. Nevertheless, Ding Ning fought; she trailed throughout the game but leveled at 9-all.
Crucial Points
At 10-9 in arrears, she saved one game point; then at 11-10 another before at 12-11 having one of her own; this time Li Xiaoxia saved before Ding Ning had a second chance at 13-12.
A forehand flick from Li Xiaoxia, clipped the top of the net; the ball flew long; Ding Ning squealed with glee.
No Clear Advantage
High quality and in the fifth game the quality continued with matters level at 8-all. The next point went to Ding Ning and the next and the next; Ding Ning celebrated; the World champion was the World Cup winner and she maintained her ascendancy over Li Xiaoxia in 2011.
Three Wins in 2011
It was the seventh meeting in world ranking events between Ding Ning and Li Xiaoxia; the record prior to the duel in Singapore in favor of Ding Ning; she had won on four occasions.
However, more pertinent was the fact that she had won the three most recent encounters; all in 2011. She won in January at the English Open, the following month in Doha at the Qatar Open and then she succeeded in what must be regarded as their most important confrontation of the year. She beat Li Xiaoxia in the final of the Women's Singles event at the GAC GROUP 2011 World Championships in Rotterdam in May. Feat Repeated
In Singapore at the Volkswagen Women's World Cup, in the electric atmosphere of the Toa Payoh Stadium, she repeated the feat.
