China loses to Japan at both singles at 2018 ITTF World Tour Japan Open

World
Europe

Fourteen-year-old Japanese genius player Tomokazu Harimoto defeated Team China's Zhang Jike 4-3 to win the gold at the men's singles finals of the Seamaster 2018 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour LION Japan Open in Kitakyushu, Japan on Sunday. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Japanese player Mima Ito beat China's Wang Manyu 4-2 to win the title for the women's singles.

This is the first time Harimoto has won the title for men's singles at the ITTF World Tour Japan Open. He had knocked out two Chinese players, Zhou Yu and World Champion Ma Long, before he met Zhang Jike in the finals.

Tomokazu Harimoto celebrates at the men's singles finals of the 2018 ITTF World Tour Japan Open. /VCG Photo

The two played on June 1 in the first round of the ITTF China Open when Harimoto scored victory over Zhang with 4-0. After that game, Zhang mentioned that Harimoto's speed was the biggest threat. Zhang adapted his play on Sunday's match and led twice with 2-0 and 3-2 but lost to the younger, more aggressive opponent.

Also on Sunday, Mima Ito defeated two Chinese players, Chen Xingtong and Wang Manyu to get the first women's singles champion at ITTF World Tour Japan Open for the host country since 2013. She was also the second Japanese female player to do so after Ai Fukuhara.

China's Zhang Jike receives silver medal at the 2018 ITTF World Tour Japan Open. /VCG Photo

After Harimoto's victory, multiple sports newspapers in Japan praised the genius player as the country's biggest hope for gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games. J Sports said Harimoto showed "gold potential" in the game.