(by Steve Hopkins, photo ITTF World)
When the 2022 ITTF World Team Championships Finals in Chengdu began last week, it was almost a given that China would face Japan. In fact, with the top four ranked players in the World all on their squad, home team China was a massive favorite, and Japan with No. 5 and No. 6 (and No. 12 as their third) was just as favored over every one else.
China maneuvered through group play without dropping a match. Their top three players were all 6-0, and their two backups were 2-0 and 1-0. The Japanese squad was nearly as dominant. They won every match 3-0 as well. However, the Chinese team was just too strong and too deep. In the Women’s Final, Chen Meng topped Miyuu Kihara 3-0, Wang Manyu defeated Mima Ito 3-1, and Sun Yingsha closed out the match with a 3-0 win over Miyu Nagasaki.
In regard to historically dominant performances…. in the Final, Wang Manyu defeated Mima Ito 3-1 and all of the other matches were 3-0 wins for China. Before the Final, every match was a 3-0 win for China, except for Chen Xingtong’s 3-1 win over USA’s Sarah Jalli. So Jalli and Ito are the only two players to log a single game win over this brutal Chinese squad.
Host China has already won one title. They are heavily favored in the Men’s Team Final tomorrow against Germany as well.
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