🏓 Heads up, table tennis fans! The Chinese mainland men's and women's teams have both punched their tickets to the final at the Asian Table Tennis Team Championships in Bhubaneswar, India! 🎉
While the women's squad booked their spot earlier today, the men's side served up an absolute thriller against Japan. After dropping the first two matches, they rallied in epic fashion to win 3-2.
Match by match breakdown:
- Match 1: Liang Jingkun pushed Tomokazu Harimoto to a deciding game but fell 11-9 in the fifth, giving Japan an early 1-0 edge.
- Match 2: World No.1 Wang Chuqin couldn't overcome Sora Matsushima, losing 11-7 in the fifth and putting the Chinese mainland down 2-0.
- Match 3: Lin Shidong turned the tide with a backhand winner in the decider, trimming the gap to 2-1.
- Match 4: Wang Chuqin bounced back against Harimoto, sealing victory at 11-8 in five games to level it 2-2.
- Deciding Match: Liang Jingkun dominated the final game, streaking to an 11-3 win and clinching the 3-2 triumph after four hours of intense play.
Next, the Chinese mainland men's team faces the Hong Kong SAR in the final. Can they keep the momentum going? Stay tuned! ✨
Reference(s):
China men, women reach finals at Asian Table Tennis Team Championships
cgtn.com
