Chinese men, women reach finals at Asian Table Tennis Team Championships

Defending champions China battled back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat archrivals Japan 3-2, advancing to the men's final at the Asian Table Tennis Team Championships in Bhubaneswar, India, on Tuesday.

In the opening match, Liang Jingkun claimed the fourth game 11-9, forcing a decider against Tomokazu Harimoto. But Japan's World No. 4 took the final game 11-9, giving his side a 1-0 overall lead.

The second match also went to a decider. Wang Chuqin trailed 8-6 after Sora Matsushima hit wide, but the World No. 1 could not make up the difference, missing a backhand to drop the fifth game 11-7 as China fell behind 2-0.

Lin Shidong started to turn the tide in the third match, leading 8-5 against Hiroto Shinozuka after they also required a fifth game. The 20-year-old landed a backhand winner on his way to a 3-2 victory, closing the overall gap to 2-1.

The fourth match featured the top-ranked paddlers from both sides, Harimoto and Wang, who brought up two match points when his Japanese opponent hit the net. The 25-year-old then closed out the contest 11-8 for another 3-2 win, helping China level the team tally at 2-2.

In the deciding match, Liang led 6-3 against Matsushima in yet another fifth game. The World No. 7 then reeled off six points in a row to prevail 11-3, giving China a 3-2 overall victory.

After coming out on top in a contest lasting four hours, China's men advanced to face the Hong Kong SAR in the final.

China's women had a much easier time than their male counterparts, as last year's runners-up at the Asian Table Tennis Team Championships swept past South Korea 3-0, returning to the final.

Sun Yingsha took on Shin Yubin in the opening match, claiming the first game 11-4. With the second game tied at 7-7, Sun grabbed three consecutive points to put it away 11-8. The South Korean battled back in the third, dominating 11-4, but the World No. 1 took the fourth by the same score to triumph 3-1 and give China a 1-0 overall lead.

The second match saw Wang Manyu face Kim Nayeong, who reduced the deficit to 5-4, before wrapping up the first game 11-8. Wang fought back to take the second 11-5, and then claimed the third 11-7 to lead 2-1. The WTT China Smash champion polished off the fourth game 11-6, winning the match 3-1 and doubling the Chinese squad's edge to 2-0.

In the third match, Wang Yidi went up against Lee Eunhye, snatching the first two games 11-8 and 11-4. The third was much tighter, but Wang held her nerve to complete the sweep 12-10, sealing the 3-0 overall victory for China.

The Chinese women will face defending champions Japan in the final.