LONDON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China claimed its seventh straight women's title at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals, rallying past Japan in a five-match thriller on Sunday in the 2026 edition.
It also marked a record-extending 24th time that China has lifted the Corbillon Cup, with its latest title run beginning from the 2012 edition in Dortmund.
In their sixth straight final clash in the tournament, the two sides lived up to expectations, as China came back twice to stand on the top podium.
The opening match between Wang Manyu and Miwa Harimoto set the stage for an enthralling duel, with Harimoto constantly attacking Wang's forehand at the opening stages to take a two-game lead with 11-4, 11-9.
Wang recovered from her slow start, winning 11-6, 11-4 to level the tie.
But Harimoto regained control in the decider, triumphing 11-4 to hand Japan the lead.
World No. 1 Sun Yingsha restored parity for China with an 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 victory over Hina Hayata, extending her advantage in their longtime rivalry to 19-0.
With the score tied at 1-1, the third match proved pivotal. With her defensive play, Honoka Hashimoto moved Japan ahead again after defeating Kuai Man 11-6, 5-11, 11-6, 11-8.
In a clash of the two teams' top players, Sun and Harimoto traded rapid rallies for most of the match, where Sun emerged victorious 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 as China forced a decider.
Stepping on the court again, Wang swept Hayata 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 to complete the comeback. ■
