China's Guo Yue and Niu Jianfeng beat South Korean defensive players Kim Bok Rae and Kim Kyung Ah 4-3 to take the bronze medal in the women's doubles at the Olympic table tennis tournament Friday afternoon.

The Chinese pair took their victory 11-7, 5-11, 11-4, 11-9, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9 in the bronze medal match which lasted more than one hour.

The match was extremely close and breathtaking as the tenacious South Koreans staged a strong comeback from 1-3 behind to earn a 3-3 draw and also led 7-5 in the deciding game. However, the Chinese pair caught up for a 7-7 and then a 9-9 draw before taking two more crucial points to end the match.

This was the first table tennis medal from this Olympic tournament, which started in the Galatsi Olympic Hall in northwest Athens on Aug. 14. Guo and Niu lost to their teammates Wang Nan/Zhang Yining Thursday in an all-Chinese semifinal.

Wang and Zhang will play South Korean pair Lee Eun Sil/Seok EunMi in the final which is scheduled to begin shortly after the bronze medal match.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2004)