South Korean women's table tennis ace Shin Yubin won the WTT Series 2025 Singapore Grand Slam against her former "golden partner" Tian Zhixi. On the 3rd local time, Shin Yubin defeated Tian Zhixi 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-7) in the first round of the women's singles final (round of 64) held in Singapore and advanced to the round of 32.

Shiki Wada (left) draws Shin Yubin with love

The match of the day was Tian Zhixi's final farewell match of the WTT Series, and his last-64 opponent was "Golden Partner" Shin Yubin, who was unable to play together again due to the disintegration of the doubles pairing.

Shin Yubin was tied 4-4 in the first game, and after a long time of pulling and breaking the balance with a strong smash, he led 7-4 due to Tian Zhixi's continuous mistakes, and in the case of a 9-8 lead, Tian Zhixi's continuous errors took the lead.

Shin Yubin, who walked up to Tian Zhixi and hugged her

Shin Yubin, who won 11-6, launched a fierce offensive at the beginning of the third game, scoring six consecutive points to take a 6-0 lead, and at 10-7, he won the last point with his serve to seal the victory of the whole match.

Tian Zhixi (right), who held the retirement ceremony, and Shin Yubin, who congratulated her

Shin Yubin approached and hugged Tian Zhixi after the game, and the two made heart-to-heart gestures together, leaving the last memories. After the competition, the retirement ceremony of Tian Zhixi, which was arranged as a surprise by the WTT Secretariat, was held. Former Korean national team teammates such as Shin Yubin, Lee Eun-hye, and Seo Hyo-won, as well as Korean Air head coach Joo Se-hyuk, also attended the retirement ceremony and expressed regret for Tian Ji-hee who left the WTT series.

With tears in his eyes, Tian Zhixi said: "I have no plans to participate this year, but I am very happy to be invited to participate in a special competition. The match with (Shin) Yubin was really exciting, and it felt very special to play the last game with Yubin. ”

Tian Zhixi (left) at the retirement ceremony

Shin Yubin also recalled: "Tian Zhixi taught me a lot of things and was the best partner. Together, we achieved the best results. Shen Yubin and Tian Zhixi are the "golden partners" who cooperated to win the women's doubles championship of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. The pair helped the South Korean women's team win bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics and teamed up for South Korea's second consecutive runners-up finish at the Mixed Team World Cup last November. However, with Tian Zhixi's withdrawal from the South Korean national team after the mixed team World Cup, the "golden pair" was disbanded.