Did China Dominate Chile to Lead the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- China's table tennis team remains unbeaten in the tournament.
- Japan, South Korea, and Germany are also undefeated.
- The tournament format includes mixed doubles, women's singles, and men's singles.
- China aims for its third consecutive title.
- The knockout stage starts after the round-robin phase.
Chengdu (China), Dec 2 (NationPress) China decisively defeated Chile with a score of 8-0, finishing as the group leader while maintaining an unbeaten streak at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Mixed Team World Cup held in Chengdu, China, on Tuesday. Alongside China, Japan, South Korea, and Germany also remain undefeated after three group matches.
Facing off against the debutant Chile, the defending champions demonstrated their superiority right from the start. The world’s top-ranked mixed doubles team, Lin Shidong and Kuai Man, overcame an initial challenge before easily defeating Chile's Nicolas Burgos and Paulina Vega with scores of 13-11, 11-3, 11-3.
"We started strong, but they made several impressive returns. By adjusting our serves and changing the rhythm, we managed to win the first game, which was crucial," Lin stated.
Local favorite Wang Manyu had an effortless victory in the women's singles against Daniela Ortega, winning 11-4, 11-4, 11-8. "This was my first match of the tournament and my first time facing her. I just played at my best today," Wang reflected.
Liang Jingkun didn't waste any time in the men's singles, winning his first two games against Gustavo Gomez with scores of 11-6, 11-2 to secure China's victory. "With a 6-0 lead, I felt no pressure; I just focused on winning every point and getting into the game quickly," Liang remarked.
On the same day, Japan easily defeated Croatia 8-2, South Korea swept the United States 8-0, and Germany comfortably beat Brazil 8-2.
With the Lebrun brothers, Alexis and Felix, France clinched a place in the quarterfinals after an 8-6 win over Romania, placing them second in Group 4 behind Germany. Croatia, Sweden, and Hong Kong, China also progressed as runners-up.
The round-robin second stage competition will commence on Wednesday, with the top four teams moving on to the knockout stage. Results from the first stage will carry over into this phase.
The format of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup is best-of-15, starting with mixed doubles, followed by women's singles and men's singles. If doubles matches are needed, their order will be determined by the team captain of the lower-ranked team.
China is pursuing its third consecutive title on home turf in this tournament, which continues until Sunday.