On the evening of May 27, Beijing time, on the 8th match day of the 2023 World Table Tennis Championships in Durban, South Africa, the men's doubles competition ushered in the final, and Fan Zhendong/Wang Chuqin of the Chinese team faced Zhang Yuzhen/Lin Zhongxun of the South Korean team. After three sets, Fan Zhendong/Wang Chuqin defeated the Korean pair 3-0 to win the men's doubles championship, with scores 13-11, 11-6 and 11-5.
Fan Zhendong/Wang Chuqin is nicknamed by fans as the "fat head combination (small fat and big head)", in the latest edition of the ITTF rankings, the fat head combination ranks first in men's doubles, and the singles ranking of the two is also ranked in the top two in the world. Jang Yu-jin/Lim Jong-hoon ranked third in the men's doubles world.
In the first game, the two sides started with a 2-2 draw, and then the Korean combination scored consecutive points to make the score 7-3. Entering the middle of the match, the fat head team chased 5-7 and improved one to tie 9-9. After the South Korean team missed the serve, the fat head team won the set point 10-9. After that, the points were constantly exchanged, and the two sides scored extra points in the first game, and finally Fan Zhendong/Wang Chuqin defeated Zhang Yuzhen/Lin Zhongxun 13-11 to win the first game, leading 1-0.
In the second game, Zhang Yuzhen/Lim Jong-hoon scored two points first, and the fat head combination scored six consecutive points to overtake their opponents 6-2. Coming to the middle of the match, Fan Zhendong/Wang Chuqin maintained an 8-4 lead. After scoring two more points, Fan Zhendong/Wang Chuqin won the set point 10-6. On the next ball, Fan Zhendong returned the ball vigorously to score, and the fat head combination won the second game 11-6, leading 2-0.
In the third game, the Korean pair's serve gave two consecutive points, and after trailing 2-0, Jang Woo-jin/Lim Jong-hoon called a timeout. After a timeout, Jang Yujin/Lim Jong-hoon chased 2 points, but the fat-headed combination still maintained the score advantage 4-2. Coming to the middle of the match, Fan Zhendong/Wang Chuqin continued to lead 8-4. After South Korea's return error, China won the championship point 10-5. In the next goal, Fan Zhendong scored a crucial point with a backhand, and the fat head team defeated Zhang Yuzhen/Lin Zhongxun 11-5, and China beat South Korea 3-0 to win the men's doubles title.