In a thrilling showdown at the Asian Table Tennis Team Championships in India, defending champions China secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Iran to book their spot in the semifinals against Japan.
The match opened with a stunning upset as 15-year-old Benyamin Faraji, who shocked the table tennis world by beating Wang Chuqin last year, overcame World No. 2 Lin Shidong in a five-game thriller. Faraji's fearless play and razor-sharp serves put Iran ahead 1-0, setting the tone for a fierce contest.
China answered back in style when World No. 7 Liang Jingkun bounced back from an opening-game loss to defeat Noshad Alamian 3-1. Liang's resilience shone through as he edged out tight scores of 13-11 and 13-11 in the final games.
World No. 1 Wang then made short work of Amir Hodeyi with a straight-games sweep, before Lin Shidong returned to the table to beat Alamian 3-0 and seal the 3-1 overall win for China.
On the women's side, last year's runners-up China made light work of Thailand, winning 3-0. World No. 2 Wang Manyu opened with a 3-0 victory over Orawan Paranang, followed by World No. 1 Sun Yingsha's 11-7, 11-8, 13-11 win against Suthasini Sawettabut. World No. 4 Kuai Man completed the sweep, beating Jinnipa Sawettabut 11-6, 11-7, 11-8.
Next up, China's men will face Japan and the women's team will take on South Korea in the semifinals, setting the stage for more high-stakes clashes on the road to gold.
Reference(s):
China beat Iran for semis at Asian Table Tennis Team Championships
cgtn.com
