Yoshimura captures table tennis title

Eighteen-year-old Maharu Yoshimura beat Jun Mizutani on Sunday in a thrilling final on Sunday to win the men's singles title at the national table tennis championships.

Yoshimura won 11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 6-11, 11-9, 5-11, 12-10 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, denying Mizutani a sixth consecutive crown and becoming only the second player after his opponent to win the title while still in high school.

"I can't believe it," said Yoshimura, who won five straight points to clinch victory after trailing 10-7 in the final game.

"Mizutani-san is a quality player and I just wanted to play without any regrets," he said

Hiroko Fujii and Misako Wakamiya won the women's doubles title for the third year in a row.

Table tennis icon Ai Fukuhara finally won a national singles title by defeating 2011 champion Kasumi Ishikawa four games to one in the women's final on Saturday.

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