11-21 11-21 21-16 21-13 21-13 to take his first world crown, Reuters reported. Kong, singles gold medallist at the Sydney Olympics and 1995 world champion, stormed ahead in the first two games, tormenting Wang with a seemingly invincible fusion of skill and power.
But Wang was a different player in the third game, discovering the merciless form that has made him the world's top-ranked player.
As if seeking revenge for losing the first two games, the gold medallist in the doubles recovered to even the score, before finishing off Kong with an eight-point margin to spare.
After the match, an emotional Wang covered his face with a towel to hide tears of joy.
"I couldn't help crying. The men's title is what I've been dreaming of for years," he said.
Kong was philosophical about the defeat, saying his confidence would remain intact.
"It's nice to see the younger players coming up to take their places," said Kong, who is only 25 himself. "I think I'll continue to play for a few more years."
International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) president Adham Sharara, addressing criticism that China's stranglehold on the sport risked turning away global audiences, said the results in Osaka should be a challenge to other nations to prepare players better.
"There is no secret. The Chinese are not from Mars or another planet. They have two eyes and two arms and one brain, the same as everyone else," he said.
"But the volume of training that they put in to a world championship far exceeds any other nation."
Earlier, China's Wang Nan and Li Ju trounced compatriots Yang Ying and Sun Jin to seize the women's doubles gold medal.
Top-ranked Wang and number two Li, Sydney Olympic gold medallists and 1999 world doubles champions, attacked relentlessly from the start to secure a 21-16 21-14 21-14 victory.
The triumph came a day after Wang claimed her second straight women's singles crown.
The 22-year-old champion, increasingly being hailed as a successor to Chinese superstar Deng Yaping, attributed China's dominance in the championships to preparation. "Training standards are higher than anywhere else in the world," she said.
In the semifinal, Yang and Sun overcame Japan's Akiko Takeda and Mayu Kawagoe 21-15 21-12 21-12, eliminating the last non-Chinese contenders from the championships.
Table tennis-China's Wang Liqin takes singles title (2001-05-07)China completes successful run in table tennis (2000-09-25)China Set to Sweep Olympics Ping Pong Golds (2000-09-07)
