CHENGDU, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- China beat Japan 8-1 to claim its third consecutive International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Mixed Team World Cup title here on Sunday.
China and Japan set up a final clash after having defeated South Korea and Germany respectively in the semifinals earlier in the day.
In the best-of-15 final, Chinese pair Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha clinched an 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 victory over Sora Matsushima and Satsuki Odo in the mixed doubles. Wang Manyu then cruised past Miwa Harimoto 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 in the women's singles to help China extend the lead to 6-0.
China's Lin Shidong then rallied past Tomokazu Harimoto 6-11, 11-5, 11-6 in the men's singles to seal the team victory.
"I felt excited today. Especially in the final, our team was in good form with an outstanding performance. In every team event, I think all of us could feel the power of China," Wang said after the match.
Lin expressed gratitude for the support from home fans, "Thanks for the encouragement. I could say I didn't let you down."
In the bronze medal match, Germany edged South Korea 8-7 to reach the podium for the first time in the Mixed Team World Cup.
First held in 2023, Sunday's final concluded the third edition of the Mixed Team World Cup. With the mixed team event having been announced on the 2028 Olympic program earlier this year, the Mixed Team World Cup now plays a more important role for teams in their Olympic preparations. ■
