Shin Yu-bin (Korean Air) and Jeon Jeon-hee (Mirae Asset Securities) reached the women's individual final of the World Table Tennis Championships for the first time in 30 years as South Korean players.

The No. 12 pair of Shin Yubin and Jeon Ji-hui secured the silver medal after defeating China's World No. 26 Sun Yingsha-Wang Manyu by a set score of 2023-6 (1-3, 0-11, 7-11) in the women's doubles semifinals on the sixth day of the 9 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Individual World Table Tennis Championships in Durban, South Africa on the 11th (local time).

It has been 6 years since the 1993 Games in Gothenburg, Sweden, where Korean coach Hyun Jung-hwa won the women's singles gold medal in the women's individual event at the World Championships.

The Shin Yubin-Jeon Hee pair will face world No. 30 Wang Yidi-Chen Meng of China in the final at 7:28 a.m. local time on the 1th.

Shin Yubin and Jeon Ji-hee, the defending champions, also produced the biggest upset of the tournament after aggressive attacking table tennis against the "world's strongest" Sun Ying-sa and Wang Manyu, who are also ranked first and second in the singles rankings.

Jeon Jeon-hee's fast-paced forehand and Shin Yubin's relentless defense to take the opponent's attack led to the victory.

The Shin Yubin-Jeon Jeon Hee pair finished all four games from the round of 30 to the semifinals of the day with a "clean sheet".

When asked by an interviewer after the match how she beat the world No. 1, Jeon Ji-hee laughed and said, "I think we're crazy."

In the men's doubles, Lee Sang-so Cho (No. 2) lost to China's World No. 32 Fan Zhendong-Wang Chuqin 4-1 (11-1, 1-3, 11-7, 3-11) in the semifinals.

As a result, the final match between Jang Woo-jin (Mirae Asset Securities) and Lim Jong-hoon (Korea Exchange) (5rd place) and Lee Sang-so Cho Dae-sung was canceled.

The final match between Jang Woo-Jin Lim and Pan Jeon-Dong Wang Chu-Chin will be played today at 11:12 p.m. KST.

(Photo = Courtesy of Korea Table Tennis Association, Yonhap News)