Japan’s table tennis players have said they were closing the gap on China, but beating No 1 Sun Yingsha was a must if they were to win gold.
They said their narrow defeat to China in the final of the World Team Table Tennis Championships last weekend had given new insight into how the gap between the two sides can be bridged, with one key being the need to break away from conventional styles.
Japan’s women’s team lost 3-2 to China in London on Sunday, extending their streak of silver medals at the tournament to six in a row, with China claiming its seventh straight title.
17-year-old Miwa Harimoto gave Japan a good time, stunning China’s Wang Manyu in the opening set 11-4, 11-9, 6-11, 4-11, 11-4 for her first win against Wang after 11 previous defeats.
“I have never beaten him in the last 11 matches, so I am very happy to win this time,” said Harimoto, who was playing as Japan’s first singles in the World Championship final for the first time. “In the team event environment, my opponent was more consistent, while I was more focused, which helped me get the win.”
However, China’s depth again made the difference.
