The Russian had complex brain surgery less than a year ago after severe headaches led to her being diagnosed with a rare condition that affects the nerve endings in the brain.

Her future at that point was uncertain and qualifying for the London 2012 Paralympic Games was a major victory in itself.

Today she overcame Antonina Khodzynska of Ukraine 3-0 (14-12, 11-2, 11-8) to take the title, and afterwards she could not contain her emotion.

Chebanika said: 'I can't believe it, I had very complex surgery last year and there were doubts about me playing here. I prayed to God to win and he answered my prayers.

'As I had been so ill I came here with very low expectations. The best I was hoping for was a bronze medal.'

Ukraine also secured bronze in Class 6 as Yuliya Klymenko won 3-1 over German Stephanie Grebe.

Elsewhere, world number one Holger Nikelis of Germany completed a near-faultless tournament by taking men's Singles - Class 1 gold over France's Jean-Francois Ducay 3-1. Great Britain's Paul Davies won bronze in the third-place play-off.

Zhao Shuai of China beat Slovakia's Richard Csejtey to take men's Singles - Class 8 gold while Emil Andersson of Sweden won the bronze-medal match.

Things did not let up in the evening as a further 15 medallists were decided.

Kelly van Zon of the Netherlands beat Russia's Yulia Ovsyannikova to women's C7 gold, before Jan Riapos ensured the C2 crown would return with him to Slovakia.

Lina Lei saw off a tough fight from Turkey's Neslihan Kavas in the women's C9 finale, while men's C4 gold went to Korean Young-Gun Kim.

The final individual table tennis medal of London 2012 went to Poland's Natalia Partyka, who after competing in the Olympics won women's C10 gold at the Paralympics.

It was tough going for Partyka, though, who was taken the distance by China's Yang Qian before winning 11-4 in the fifth.