(Photo ITTF)
Germany continued to signal their intentions to the rest of the draw, beating Sweden 8-5 in one of the longest matches of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu.
They defeated the Swedes 8-5 in the Stage 2 clash as favourites China, Japan and Korea all register wins.
Patrick Franziska-Annett Kaufmann endured a marathon opening game in the mixed doubles, losing 18-20. But they reset quickly, and won the next two games 11-8 and 11-4 against Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson-Christina Kallberg.
With Sweden trailing 1-2, Linda Bergstrom produced one of the finest performances of her career to defeat Sabine Winter. It was a difficult matchup for Bergstrom, facing an opponent with a powerful forehand and an ‘anti-spin’ rubber on the backhand, both of which challenged her chopping style. Yet her trademark grit shone through.
She edged the first game 13-11, dropped the second 8-11. In the decider, Bergstrom led 5-1, but fell behind 6-9. Keeping her cool, she fought back from here to prevail 16-14 in the decider.
With the tie level at 3-3, Germany’s Dang Qiu delivered a masterclass against Anton Kallberg. Chosen ahead of higher-ranked compatriot Benedikt Duda due to his superior head-to-head record against Kallberg (7-2), Dang justified the decision.
He used deft touches and clever variations in serve to outsmart his opponent, winning 3-0. Kallberg was unfortunate to lose the third game 16-18, as Dang benefited from several nets and edges at crucial moments, but credit remained with Dang for executing his plan and taking Germany to a 6-3 lead.
However, Sweden immediately responded in the men’s doubles. Kallberg-Kristian Karlsson defeated Dang-Benedikt Duda 2-1, winning 12-10 in the decider to keep Sweden alive mathematically.
Germany, however, needed only one more win. Sabine Winter-Nina Mittelham beat Christina Kallberg-Linda Bergstrom 12-10 in the women’s doubles to close out the tie at 8-5.
This victory showcased Germany’s squad depth and experience. Every player in the squad was called upon, and despite losing five games on deuce, they still prevailed. This result also highlighted their flexibility in team selection, adopting a horses-for-courses approach that proved decisive.
Japan win 8-2 against Hong Kong, China to continue unbeaten streak.
Sora Matsushima-Satsuki Odo prevailed 2-1 in a battle of generations, defeating Hong Kong, China’s Wong Chun Ting-Doo Hoi Kem in the mixed doubles. Having lost the first game 11-13, Matsushima and Odo struck back to take the second. The third game turned into a marathon, with the Japanese pair saving multiple match points before holding their nerve to clinch it 18-16 in the decider.
Japan’s Miwa Harimoto survived a scare against Zhu Chengzhu in the women’s singles. Harimoto slipped 0-1 down to Zhu, who was inspired by vociferous crowd support. The pressure mounted, as Harimoto had never even dropped a game to Chengzhu in their two prior meetings. However, she regrouped, and despite looking shaky throughout, won the next two games to seal a 2-1 victory.
It was then time for brother Tomokazu to take charge in the men’s singles. He tamed an initially high flying Lam Siu Hang in three straight games to push Japan ahead 7-2.
Miwa then returned in the women’s doubles alongside Hina Hayata. Together, they secured the required one game 11-7 against Ng Wing Lam-Zhu Chengzhu, completing the 8-2 win for Japan.
Korea Republic survive Alexis Lebrun onslaught, scrape past France.
Korea Republic edged France in the tournament’s closest battle yet, outlasting an inspired Alexis Lebrun to win 8-7.
France unveiled a fresh Stage 2 lineup. Felix Lebrun-Prithika Pavade stepping in for the unbeaten Alexis Lebrun-Jia Nan Yuan in the mixed doubles, with Alexis and Jia Nan taking over singles duties.
Lebrun-Pavade started well, winning 14-12 in a close first game to open up a 1-0 lead. But Kim Nayeong and Park Ganghyeon found their rhythm, winning 11-5 in the next two games to hand Korea Republic an early 2-1 lead.
Lee Eunhye then did further damage, convincingly beating Jia Nan Yuan in the women’s singles. Eunhye raced to a 2-0 lead. Jia Nan had her opportunities in the third, but Lee fought back to win it 12-10, giving her team a 5-1 lead.
France, never a side to be ruled out, mounted a spirited comeback on the back of Alexis Lebrun’s heroics. The tactical gamble to field him in the men’s singles paid dividends, as Alexis produced a dazzling 2–1 victory over Jang Woojin.
Alexis delivered an unforgettable exhibition of power from mid distance to go up 2-0. He stunned the crowd with blistering backhand topspin shots that echoed like the ball had been struck with a hammer. It was a masterclass in combining sheer force with clever tactics—his surprise fast long serves into Woojin’s body caught the Korean off guard and proved a potent weapon. But Woojin managed to endure the relentless barrage to snatch the third game, which proved crucial in the overall balance of the tie.
Alexis though carried the confidence forward from the singles, and the real fireworks came when he joined forces with brother Felix in the men’s doubles. France desperately needed a straight games win, and got exactly that.
Against Korea Republic’s Park Ganghyeon-Oh Junsung, the Lebrun brothers produced a dazzling exhibition. They played with creativity and freedom despite being the team under pressure. They dominated the long topspin exchanges, with rallies often ending with Alexis’ explosive finishing shots.
Yet Alexis also showcased his finesse, mixing in deft ‘chop-blocks’ and even a couple of defensive backhand chops in the midst of topspin rallies, confounding the Koreans. The brothers never allowed their opponents to build momentum, and levelled the tie at 6–6.
With Korea Republic under pressure going into the Women’s doubles, Jia Nan Yuan-Prithika Pavade started brilliantly for France. Playing Kim Nayeong-Choi Hyojoo, they took the first game 11–8 to the disbelief of the Korean bench. The French pair capitalised on Choi Hyojoo’s inability to read Pavade’s hook serve, putting away her loose receives.
However, the Korean pair regrouped in the second to win 11–3, and then went 10–6 up in the deciding game. The drama continued as Pavade-Jia Nan mounted a late comeback, winning three points in a row. At the fourth match point, with the Korean bench screaming instructions at her, Choi Hyojoo finally produced an effective receive off Pavade’s serve. It allowed the Korean pair to take control of the rally and secure victory, dashing French hopes.
With this win, Korea Republic maintain their unbeaten record in the tournament.
Unstoppable China rout Croatia.
China continued their ominous form, securing their third clean sweep of 8-0 in a row to beat Croatia.
In the mixed doubles, Wang Chuqin-Sun Yingsha barely broke a sweat to win 3-0 against Ivor Ban-Hana Arapovic. Chuqin-Yingsha were the first pair all tournament to successfully keep Ban silent, as they did not allow him any opportunity to impose himself onto the match.
Kuai Man extended China’s dominance in the women’s singles. She conceded just 12 points in 3 games, thrashing Ivana Malobabic, who replaced Lea Rakovac for Croatia.
The most competitive fixture of the tie came in the men’s singles, with Lin Shidong winning 2-0 against the in‑form Croat Tomislav Pucar. Shidong won 14-12, surviving an outrageous passage of attacking play from Pucar to open up a 1-0 lead.
The second game delivered pure theatre – Pucar produced a breathtaking edge-ball winner after a dazzling sequence of lobs from Lin, a contender for the ‘Point of the Day’. The rally had the crowd screaming, with the ‘TTR’ system also being called in to check if Pucar’s clipped the side of the table.
The drama intensified further when the ‘TTR’ was called into action again, with Pucar’s reverse pendulum ruled as a fault for the angle of his ball toss. But Lin kept his cool through the chaos, winning 11-4 in the second to complete China’s 8-0 win.
