China won the women’s title in imposing fashion on the evening of Saturday 8th October at the 2022 ITTF World Team Championships Finals Chengdu Presented by China Telecom. They maintained their perfect record, from start to finish not one individual match surrendered, every fixture the 3-0 score line.
At the final hurdle, facing Japan, the no.2 seeds, Chen Meng beat Miyuu Kihara (11-6, 11-8, 11-8), Wang Manyu overcame Mima Ito (11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 11-5), Sun Yingsha accounted for Miyu Nagasaki (11-7, 11-7, 11-8).
“It was the second time that we played as a team together, we were together at the Tokyo Olympic Games”, said Chen Meng. “We have built a mutual trust, this victory belongs to all of us, including Mr. Li Sun our coach, Wang Yidi, and Chen Xingtong.”
It was Japan’s fourth consecutive defeat in the final at the hands of China who held aloft the Corbillon Cup for the 22nd occasion in what is now 27 final appearances since 1954 in London.
In the counterpart men’s event, Team China progressed to the final but in a very different manner. Confronting Japan, the no.3 seeds, the contest kept fans biting their nails in a full distance 3-2 win; the most severe test experienced by a Chinese men’s team since Sweden prevailed 3-2 in the Kuala Lumpur 2000 final.
Revelling in the occasion, 19-year-old Tomokazu Harimoto was the player to cause the host heartaches.
He overcame Wang Chuqin (8-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-9) – his nemesis in the men’s singles final at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games – and Fan Zhendong (11-7, 6-11, 3-11, 11-9, 11-9), the World No.1, to force a decisive fifth match.
“We came here as a team we have all done our best, although we have not won the title, we fully enjoyed ourselves. I believe next time we can win”, said Tomokazu Harimoto. “We were playing China; I came here as a challenger; I had good rallies playing Fan Zhendong which gives me confidence.”
Stoic, in control of his emotions, Wang Chuqin quelled Chinese nerves. He prevailed against Shunsuke Togami (12-10,11-7, 11-4) to secure the victory.
It is bronze for Japan’s men, the 10th time since they made their World Championships debut 70 years ago in 1952.
At the final hurdle of the men’s event, China meets Germany, the no.2 seeds, for whom at the semi-final stage in a 3-2 win against the Republic of Korea, Benedikt Duda was the hero of the hour.
In the opening match, he ended the hitherto unbeaten record of Jang Woojin (10-12, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7), before in the fifth and concluding contest overcoming An Jaehyun (11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6) to seal the victory.
“Both Dang Qiu and Benedikt Duda played really well today”, reflected Jang Woojin. “In terms of skills and techniques, they are similar, they were aggressive; that’s why I lost to them.”
Germany now appears in their sixth men’s final, the first being 2004 in Doha, when the current coach, Jörg Rosskopf was present as a player.
“We are in the final and it’s great for the team, but the journey is not over; we want to play very well tomorrow and do our best”, said Rosskopf. “If you play in the final, you want to win the final; that’s the main target for the boys. They have to prepare well for tomorrow and try their best.”