BEIJING — China's Zhang Yining has defeated teammate Wang Nan to win the gold medal in women's singles table tennis.

The host country clinched all three medals in the event earlier Friday evening after Guo Yue beat Singapore's Li Jia Wei to take the bronze.

China has always been dominant in its national sport. But it has swept all three medals only once before, in the women's singles at the 1988 Seoul Games.

The gold medal match was a showdown between two of the best athletes in table tennis — Zhang was playing for her fourth Olympic gold medal and Wang was competing for her fifth.

The score was frequently tied and Wang controlled the game at first. But Zhang stayed cool and gradually took over, winning 8-11, 13-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3.