Chinese table tennis players continue to grab wins at WTT Europe Smash in Sweden

Top-seeded Sun Yingsha of China cruised past Hina Hayata of Japan in three games in the women's singles round of 16 at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Europe Smash in Malmo, Sweden, on Thursday, advancing to the last eight.

Sun showed dominance from the start, commanding her serve with authority while scoring four quick points in the first game, which she claimed 11-5. Hayata enhanced her forehand attacks in the second and led 8-5, but Sun adjusted her play and picked up six straight points to claim the frame 11-8.

The third game was close early, with the 24-year-old up 6-5. Sun then converted five points in a row to seal the deal. She will face eighth seed Mima Ito of Japan in the quarterfinals.

Sun's compatriots, second-seeded Wang Manyu and 10th-seeded Chen Yi, both needed five games to beat their opponents in the round of 16.

Wang clinched the opener 11-8 against Miyu Nagasaki, but Japan's 17th seed secured the next two games 12-10 and 11-8 to lead 2-1 overall. Wang stood up to the pressure and grabbed the fourth 11-7, however, closing out the frame by scoring three straight points on her serve. She then completed the comeback by taking the decider 11-7.

The World No. 2 will meet another Japanese opponent, 11th-seeded Honoka Hashimoto, in the last eight. Hashimoto stunned China's fifth-seeded Wang Yidi 3-1 earlier in the day.

Chen YI and 25-year-old Bruna Takahashi of Brazil were knotted at 2-2 after four games in their round of 16 match. The decider then saw the 20-year-old Chen outperform the South American 11-4 to reach the quarterfinals, where she will meet Sabine Winter of Germany. Winter knocked out China's third-seeded Chen Xingtong in four games.

In an all-Chinese last 16 clash, 15th-seeded Shi Xunyao upset fourth-seeded Kuai Man to earn a spot in the last eight. She will face Japan's ninth-seeded Satsuki Odo next.

The only Chinese player left in the men's singles competition, World No. 1 Lin Shidong, beat Ricardo Walther 11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4 in the round of 16. He will go up against another German, 11th-seeded Dang Qiu, for a place in the semifinals.

Lin also continued to progress in the men's doubles event, pairing with Huang Youzheng to eliminate Martin Allegro and Adrien Rassenfosse of Belgium 11-5, 11-9, 10-12, 11-3 in the quarterfinals. Up next for the third seeds will be Singapore's Izaac Quek and Koen Pang, who edged past China's Liang Jingkun and Wen Ruibo in five games.

The top-seeded Sun and Wang kept China's hopes alive in the women's doubles division after defeating Hana Matelova of the Czech Republic and Barbora Balazova of Slovakia 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 in the last eight. The Chinese pair will play third seeds Kim Na-yeong and Ryu Han-na of South Korea next.

China's top-seeded pair of Lin and Kuai moved one step closer to winning the mixed doubles title after brushing aside Eduard Ionescu and Bernadette Szocs of Romania in straight games to reach the final. They will take on second-seeded Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin of South Korea in the championship contest.