For the first time since 2000, the Romanian women’s team will see medals placed around their neck, after an emotional 3-1 quarterfinal victory over France at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London.
The stakes weren’t lost on the Romanian players, who approached the match fully aware that they sat on the cusp of something special. Facing off against one of the bronze medal teams from 2024, they had a daunting task ahead of them.
Returning to the match day lineup for only the second time in London, Adina Diaconu was first up for the Romanians. While she put up a brave fight, the 26-year-old fell just shy of an upset win as Jia Nan Yuan gave France the early lead with a 7-11, 13-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5 win.
That initial setback was nearly amplified as Prithika Pavade threatened to double France’s advantage, forcing the second contest right down to the wire. But Bernadette Szocs, a player who has been a shining light for Romanian table tennis over many years, stood firm, delivering her crushing best in the deciding game to level things up with a 11-7, 11-9, 11-13, 5-11, 11-2 victory.
With nothing to separate the teams, there was a feeling in the air that the third match between Andreea Dragoman and Charlotte Lutz could be pivotal, and so it would prove. Dragoman, who guided Romania over the line against Egypt in the previous round, stepped up to the task again, seeing off Lutz 11-6, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6 to put Romania in front for the first time.
Fighting desperately until the end, Jia Nan Yuan did everything in her power to try to turn the tide. But it was written in the stars. Taking the fourth match 10-12, 11-6, 11-4, 14-12, Szocs’ second win of the night led to eye-catching scenes as she and her Romanian teammates celebrated the historic moment in truly unforgettable fashion, dancing wildly atop the table as they struggled to contain their excitement.
“I was very excited and very happy and proud of my team. I didn’t think about the celebration at all, it came very naturally. Of course, we knew it wouldn’t be easy because we were playing for the medal and it would be the first one for us. But still we were very positive because we had not lost against France before. I’m very proud of my team. Mentally it was very important to be strong today, and my teammates were very strong which helped me a lot to see that we are a good team that can help each other in difficult moments,” said Szocs.
After two decades of ITTF World Team Championships hurt, Romania is finally back in the Women’s Team semifinals, assuring them of a medal finish.
What colour will that medal be for Romania? Bronze is already in the bag, and on Saturday they meet China for the right to play in the gold medal match.
Meanwhile, Japan’s women extended their unbeaten run and moved one step closer to making the final for the sixth time in a row, with a crushing 3-0 win over Ukraine, where they didn’t drop a single game.
Honoka Hashimoto against Anastasiya Dymytrenko was first up, and after a close opening game, the 27-year-old started to assert her dominance and quickly had Japan’s first win in the bag taking the match 11-9, 11-7, 11-4).
One game to the good, Japan turned to their rising star and one of the hottest young prospects in table tennis right now, Miwa Harimoto, who extended her unbeaten run in London, taking out Maragaryta Pesotska in straight games 11-9, 11-5, 11-6. Hina Hayata then put the tie to bed, taking out Tetyana Bilenko as Japan wrapped this one up in one hour and 23 minutes.
The other quarterfinal of the day at OVO Arena Wembley saw China get the last laugh over Korea with a 3-0 win. Korea Republic beat China 3-1 just six days ago in Stage 1A, raising questions about whether the defending champions could retain their title this time around.
China’s Wang Chuqin made an electric start and looked to be in cruise control when he took the first two games against Oh Junsung. But the Korean player came roaring back to level the match and force a decider. Under pressure, Chuqin showed why he is the World No.1: he stood firm, started to assert himself, and eventually won 11-9, 11-1, 8-11, 7-11, 11-7.
Lin Shidong, who has had a shaky start to the World Championships with three defeats, flew out of the blocks in his match against Jang Woojin, showing glimpses of the form that previously took him to World No.1 t o win 11-3, 13-11, 11-8.
Liang Jingkun then stepped up to the table with his eyes set on putting China in the semifinal. Standing opposite him was An Jaehyun, who was hoping he could spark a Korea fightback. But LiJingkun rounded off an impressive performance by the World No.1 team, getting their third straight-games win of the night. He took the match 11-7, 11-5, 15-13.
With their two losses in Stage 1A now truly behind them, China have just thrown down the gauntlet to the remaining teams and shown the world they are still fighting for this title.
