Zhou Ying: All you need to know about Bhavina's Patel's opponent in the gold medal match at the Tokyo Paralympics

Zhou Ying successfully made her way into the final of the Class 4 Table Tennis competition at the Paralympics. The ace paddler defeated her Chinese compatriot Gu Xiaodon in three straight games to make it to the final. It was complete domination from Ying in the semis, as she got the better of her opponent in merely 16 minutes.

The World No. 1 will now face a familiar opponent in the final. She will be up against India's Bhavina Patel in the final tomorrow. Ahead of the thrilling match, here are a few things you need to know about Zhou Ying.

#4 Zhou Ying's early life

Zhou Ying was detected with polio at a young age. However, life had better plans for her. She attended school at the New Hope Center, where she met a coach named Heng Xin. From there on she never looked back. Xin trained a young Zhou and made her one of the best para-paddlers in China.

#3 How many medals has Zhou Ying won in her career?

Zhou Ying is one of the most decorated para-paddlers in China. She played her way through the junior ranks and continued her brilliance onto the international stage.

The 32-year-old is a 5 time Paralympic gold medalist. She won two medals in each of the singles and team events during the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic campaigns. Although she missed out on the podium in singles at the 2016 Rio games, she managed to get to glory in the team event.

The Chinese paddler is also a 6-time World Championship medalist. Her medals include 1 silver and 5 gold medals. She is one of the best paddlers in Asia, having won 14 Asian Championship medals and 5 Asian Games gold medals.

#2 Zhou Ying's success vs Bhavina Patel

Zhou Ying started off her campaign at the Paralympics with a stunning 3-0 win over Bhavina Patel. The Chinese ace looked dominant in the game and came out victorious in just 18 minutes. The Indian has come a long way since then. Bhavina made her way through some tough competitors to set up a match with World No. 1 Zhou Ying.

#1 Zhou Ying's road to the final

Group Match: Zhou Ying 3 - 0 Bhavina Patel

Group Match: Zhou Ying 3 - 0 Megan Shackleton

Quarterfinal: Zhou Ying 3 - 1 Matic Nada

Semi-Final: Zhou Ying 3 - 0 Gu Xiaodon

Final: Zhou Ying vs Bhavina Patel