Chengdu, Dec 7 (IANS) China beat Japan 8-1 to claim its third consecutive International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Mixed Team World Cup title here on Sunday.

China and Japan set up a final clash after having defeated South Korea and Germany respectively in the semifinals earlier in the day, reports Xinhua.

In the best-of-15 final, Chinese pair Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha clinched an 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 victory over Sora Matsushima and Satsuki Odo in the mixed doubles. Wang Manyu then cruised past Miwa Harimoto 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 in the women’s singles to help China extend the lead to 6-0.

China’s Lin Shidong then rallied past Tomokazu Harimoto 6-11, 11-5, 11-6 in the men’s singles to seal the team victory.

In the bronze medal match, Germany edged South Korea 8-7 to reach the podium for the first time in the Mixed Team World Cup.

First held in 2023, Sunday’s final concluded the third edition of the Mixed Team World Cup. With the mixed team event having been announced on the 2028 Olympic program earlier this year, the Mixed Team World Cup now plays a more important role for teams in their Olympic preparations.

–IANS

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