Mun Hye-gyeong wins women's singles gold in soft tennis

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korea's Mun Hye-gyeong struck gold in the women's singles event in soft tennis at the Asian Games on Saturday, bringing the country its first soft tennis title in China.

Mun defeated Noa Takahashi of Japan 4-0 (4-2, 4-2, 4-0, 4-0) at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Tennis Centre in Hangzhou.

Before Mun's breakthrough, South Korea previously won bronze medals in the men's and women's team events, mixed doubles and men's singles.

In soft tennis, the first player to claim four games is the match winner, with each game requiring four points for a win.

Mun barely broke a sweat against Takahashi, needing just 13 minutes to win her required four games.

Mun had earlier won bronze medals in the women's team and the mixed doubles events. The 26-year-old is the first South Korean women's singles champion in soft tennis since 2014.

Soft tennis joined the Asian Games in 1994, and Mun's lone gold represents South Korea's lowest gold medal total at a single Asiad.

Earlier Saturday, Yoon Hyoung-wook of South Korea lost to Chang Yu Sung of Chinese Taipei in a seven-game battle in the men's singles semifinals. South Korea's winning streak in the men's singles was snapped at three.

South Korea swept up all seven soft tennis titles in 2014, and won two out of five gold medals at state in 2018.