It's a happy ending, not perfect though, for the 28-year-old atthe Doha Asian Games.

It's Wang's sixth Asian Games gold in her 21-year-long career, during which she has also swept Olympic, world championships and World Cup titles, a grand slam feat that has been achieved only bytwo other women - Deng Yaping and Zhang Yining, both of China.

Having her hair grow long, the married Wang Nan looks more feminine and seems that nothing can upset her good mood.

But there was a touching moment on Wednesday for the placid andmature player, dubbed as "Smiling Assassin" for her perennial smiles on court or off, giving a false impression that she is not a fierce and hard hitter.

In Wednesday's competitions, the all-conquering Chinese tumbledat both the women's singles and doubles semifinals, denied a chance to repeat her past glories at possibly her last Asian Games.

"I have no regrets. Actually I'm gratified to have won the women's team championship," an emotional Wang said between sobs.

Wang has been repeatedly asked about her retirement date and the answer is always the same.

"Who knows. Maybe I'll play the 49th world championships (individual championships in 2007 and team championships in 2008),"said Wang, now a coach-player on the Chinese team.

She had given the same answer after the 2002 Asian Games, in which she reached her lowest by losing singles and doubles as wellas two crucial games in China's final loss to DPR Korea.

But Wang steeled herself after a string of defeats, rebounding to sweep the women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles inthe 2003 world individual championships.

Then in 2004 and 2006, she twice led the Chinese women's team to lift the Corbillon Cup in the 47th and 48th world team championships.

Wang was only seven when she started her table tennis career atthe Fushun sports school in Liaoning Province. Brought up in a poor family, she toughened up early. Only after she had enough ball practice was she allowed a cup of water by her father who believed her daughter was destined for great things.

She was called up to the Liaoning provincial team at 11 and make it to the top eight at the 7th National Games at 14 - a result that was good enough to secure a spot in the national team.

In the 44th world championship in Manchester, England, in 1997,Wang Nan was included in the Chinese roster as a fourth player behind Deng Yaping, Yang Ying and Li Ju.

In the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Wang Nan swept four gold medals after beating Koyama Chire, a former Chinese world championwho switched allegiance to Japan and upset Deng Yaping in the 1994Asiad.

"The Bangkok Games was a turning point," said Lu Yuansheng, former head coach of Chinese women's team. "Wang has become a different person since."

In the 1999 world championships in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Wang Nan came from two sets down to beat teammate Zhang Yining to clinch her first world singles gold. In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Wang survived four match points to edge out Singapore's LiJia Wei en route to the gold medal.

"Table tennis is my life," said Wang. "I feel the end of the world if I lose a game. However, no matter how good I am, I will be surpassed sooner or later. So I just want to enjoy the game as long as I can."