‘Perfect’ paddlers reign in thriller
Coach Ma Lin hails superb comeback victory at world team championships
BUSAN, South Korea — Coach Ma Lin hailed his squad’s “perfect” campaign after China won a sixth consecutive women’s title at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in Busan on Saturday.
China rallied past Japan 3-2 to claim the Corbillon Cup for a record-extending 23rd time.
In the sides’ fifth straight final matchup at the tournament since 2014, the trio of Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng and Wang Yidi helped China emerge victorious once again.
“It was a perfect campaign for us,” Ma told a news conference on Sunday.
“We have defended the title while also discovering some of our weaknesses at just the right time for us to make improvements ahead of the Paris Olympic Games.”
With China falling 1-2 behind, Sun kept her team’s hopes alive with her second win of the night, before Chen made amends for her defeat earlier in the final with a 3-1 win over Japanese prodigy Miwa Harimoto.
“I think in years to come, these five players and I will still be reminiscing about this thrilling contest,” an emotional Ma said.
Despite winning all of its eight matches in Busan, China had to dig deep at both ends of the tournament, with its first group match against India also dragging into a deciding set.
“Our players stood firm against the pressure and defended the glory of China’s women’s table tennis team. This is my first time winning the world championships title as head coach,” said Ma, who won nine titles at world championships and three Olympic golds during his legendary playing career.
“As the Chinese saying goes, ‘The first step is always the hardest.’ My first team worlds as head coach has been quite a thrilling one,” he added.
Sun described the final as “very intense and exciting”, adding: “All six players from both sides played at their absolute peak level.”
She heaped praise on Harimoto, and expects the rising Japanese star to be a tough rival for China in the coming years.
“Watching her development in recent years, we can see that she’s around the same standard as us now,” said Sun.
The Busan Exhibition and Convention Center erupted into cheers when Chen secured her final point in an 11-7 win in the fourth game against Harimoto.
“We expected it to be a very tough match. Japan has displayed its prowess as a strong team, and we know they are a huge threat,” said Chen.
“Their level is almost at where we are right now, and their young players also have some really advanced techniques of play,” she added.
Chen thanked her teammates for offering her the chance to play the deciding match.
“The match was a wonderful advert for table tennis, as everyone on the court did their best to help their team. After losing the first game in the decisive matchup, I just told myself that I had to give it absolutely everything to get through it.”
Chen said the victory was among the team’s most memorable triumphs. “This is the most difficult one for us at all the table tennis team worlds we’ve competed in,” she said.
Earlier on Saturday, China and France emerged victorious in the men’s team semifinals. China prevailed in a five-setter against host South Korea, while France recorded a 3-1 victory over Chinese Taipei.
Top-ranked Fan Zhendong picked up two wins and saved China from the brink of defeat, while Wang Chuqin made amends for his opening loss with a straight-sets victory in the decider.
World No 6 Felix Lebrun was the star of the show for France, scoring two points as his side made the final for the first time since 1997.