Australia's Yang Qian took gold in the women's singles C6-10 Para table tennis event ©Getty Images

Paralympic champion Yang Qian won the first Para table tennis gold medal of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games here with victory in the women's singles C6-10 event, and was later joined on top of the podium by Jack Hunter-Spivey and Bhavina Hasmukhbhai Patel.

Yang triumphed in an all-Australian final at the National Exhibition Centre against Li Na Lei, winning in four games.

The first two went to tiebreaks as Tokyo 2020 women's singles C10 champion Yang took them 12-10 and 16-14, but singles C9 Paralympic gold medallist Lei hit back to take the third 11-7.

The fourth proved a closely fought affair but an 11-9 victory for Yang earned her gold.

Both players have previously represented China, and Australian head coach Alois Rosario hailed their "experience of understanding what it actually takes to win a Paralympic [Games] gold medal".

Gold Coast 2018 silver medallist Faith Obazuaye of Nigeria finished on the podium again, coming from behind to beat England's Felicity Pickard 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8.

There was cheer for the host nation in the men's singles C3-5 final, with C5 Paralympic bronze medallist Jack Hunter-Spivey beating Nigeria's Nasiru Sule in four games 11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7.

His 54-year-old opponent had won Paralympic bronze at Atlanta 1996 and beaten Hunter-Spivey in the group stage, but Isau Ogunkunle doubled Nigeria's presence on the podium with a comfortable 11-3, 11-6, 11-9 straight sets win against India's Raj Aravindan Alagar to take bronze.

England's Jack Hunter-Spivery, centre, topped the men's singles C3-5 podium ©Getty Images
England's Jack Hunter-Spivery, centre, topped the men's singles C3-5 podium ©Getty Images

The other gold medal of the day went to Patel of India, the C4 Paralympic silver medallist, who beat Nigeria's Ifechukwude Christiana Ikpeoyi in straight games in the women's C3-5 final.

Patel triumphed 12-10, 11-2, 11-9, with compatriot Sonalben Manubhai Patel joining her on the podium with an 11-5, 11-2, 11-3 victory over England's Sue Bailey to take bronze.

The last Para table tennis final between Australia's Lin Ma and Wales' Joshua Stacey in the men's singles classes 8-10 is scheduled for tomorrow.

In today's table tennis action, Feng Tianwei and Zeng Jian set up an all-Singaporean women's singles final.

Feng is a three-time Olympic medallist who won gold in this event at New Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014, but had to settle for bronze four years ago.

She will improve on that in Birmingham after edging a dramatic seven-game semi-final with India's Sreeja Akula on a tiebreak.

Top seed Feng came out on top 11-6, 8-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10.

Fifth seed Zeng trailed to Australia's Liu Yangzi after losing the first two games 11-7 and 11-9, but hit back to win four in succession and reach the final.

Bhavina Hasmukhbhai Patel of India, top, beat Nigeria's Ifechukwude Christiana Ikpeoyi in the women's C3-5 final ©Getty Images
Bhavina Hasmukhbhai Patel of India, top, beat Nigeria's Ifechukwude Christiana Ikpeoyi in the women's C3-5 final ©Getty Images

Zeng won 12-10 on a tiebreak in the third, before clinching 11-4, 11-6 and 11-9 victories in the games that followed.

The line-ups for the men's and mixed doubles finals were also decided.

Home favourites Liam Pitchford and Paul Drinkhall beat Singapore's Poh Shao Feng Ethan and Chew Zhe Yu Clarence 11-2, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9 in the first men's doubles semi-final, before India's Sharath Kamal Achanta and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran edged a five-game thriller with Australia's Nicholas Lum and Finn Luu 8-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-1, 11-8.

Chew also suffered a defeat in the mixed doubles semi-final, as he and playing partner Zeng went down 11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7 to Malaysia's Javen Choong and Karen Lyne.

Achanta, competing with Sreeja Akula for India, won the other last four tie 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 12-14, 11-7 against Australia's Lum and Jee Minhyung.

All three of those finals are due to be held tomorrow, while the men's singles and women's doubles conclude on Monday (August 8).