Wang seals second gold

Wang and Li Ju won doubles gold together

China's Wang Nan defeated her doubles partner Li Ju in the women's singles table tennis final.

The finalists had won the doubles competition on Friday and Wang's win gives China a third title in the tournament.

The top seed beat Li, the number two seed, 21-12 12-21 19-21 21-17 21-18 in the thrilling all-China match.

At times the pair, who are friends off court in addition to being doubles partners, put on an exhibition of shot-making skills.

Although China had already been guaranteed a fourth women's singles gold in the four Olympics since table tennis entered the Games, the result still mattered.

The winner would be taking over the Olympic crown from the great four-times gold medallist Deng Yaping - and Wang seemed nervous of the prospect.

Upper hand

She appeared to hold the upper hand until midway through the second game when a loss of concentration let Li back into the match.

The left-handed Wang struggled to impose her usual authority on the tie, with neither player able to build a decisive lead until late in each game.

And it required a comeback by the 21-year-old Wang from 2-1 down in games before she clinched victory on her fourth match point.

Taiwan's Chen Jing picked up the bronze medal to give her a complete set, having won gold for China at Seoul in 1988 and silver for Taiwan in Atlanta in 1996.

Chen ended Singapore's hopes for their first Olympics medal in 40 years when she beat Jing Jun Hong, who previously also lived in and played for China, 18-21 21-14 21-15 21-10.

In the men's singles semi-finals, Jan-Ove Waldner of Sweden beat China's Liu Guoliang 21-19 21-16 21-19, with the situation reversed in the second match as Kong Linghui of China beat Sweden's Joergen Persson 21-12 13-21 21-16 21-13.

The final and the bronze medal match take place on Monday.