England get their Worlds campaigns under way

England have hit their first balls at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 Presented by ACN.

The England men’s team had the ultimate introduction to the competition as they started with an opening match with reigning world champions, China and certainly held their own against some of the world’s biggest stars.

Tom Jarvis was first into the fray as he took on former world number 1 Lin Shidong, and went down fighting 3-0 including a tight first end that saw the China number 2 edge past Jarvis 11-9.

The star of the show, the world No 1 and current world champion Wang Chuqin, adored by hundreds of Chinese fans in attendance then helped his nation to a 2-0 lead as he defeated Sam Walker 3-1.

The game started fast, with Wang getting over the line 11-9, though Walker held his own chances, just slightly missing the table with a backhand counter at 9-8 down to give the world’s leading man two game points. Wang then ran into a two game lead taking the second 11-6. Walker’s determination, and talent, combined with a huge home crowd roar, saw him take the third 13-11. Wang regained control in the fourth and took the fixture 3-1.

Youngster Connor Green then made his World Team Championships debut, as he took on Liang Jingkun (WR21). Jingkun with a little bit of fortune toward the end of the first end, took the game 11-7.

Green raced into a 6-0 lead in the second end, showing he is competing at the very highest level. He went on to take the game 11-5.

It was 11-8 in the next two games – first to Liang and then, thrillingly, to Green as the crowd warmed to the English display against their lofty opponents.

Green was always chasing the decider, but always in touch – and the France team broke off their interview duties in the media zone to watch the climax. Sadly for the English youngster, it was 11-9 to Liang and the match was over – but plenty of positives to take for individuals and team alike.

Other matches

Truls Moregard gave Sweden the lead against Korea Republic as he recovered from losing the first game to An Jaehyun to win in four – but he emerged from the match with ice on his right shoulder, which could be a worry for the Swedes ahead of their evening match against England.

They went on to beat Korea 3-0 as Anton Kallberg also came from 1-0 down to beat Jang Woojin, and Mattias Karlsson recovered a 2-1 deficit to beat Oh Junsung.

France were in a hurry to beat Chinese Taipei, kick-started by Alexix Lebrun beating Kuo Guan-Hong in three. His brother Felix needed four to get the better of Feng Yi-Hsin, but it was back to a 3-0 margin as Simon Gauzy completed victory against Hsu Hsien-Chia.

Germany v Japan turned into an epic won 3-2 by Germany. It was underpinned by a superb double for Dang Qiu, beating Sora Matsushima in the first match and Tomokazu Harimoto in the fourth, both 3-0.

In between, Harimoto defeated Benedikt Duda 3-2 and it was the same score in favour of Togami Shunsuke over Patrick Franziska.

In the decider, Duda beat Matsushima in four to complete a memorable German victory.

Results

Group 1: China 3 England 0, Sweden 3 Korea Republic 0

Group 2: France 3 Chinese Taipei 0, Germany 3 Japan 2

Women’s Team

The women’s team was up against Japan, silver medallists last time out, and had their moments in a 3-0 defeat in front of a vibrant home crowd at OVO Arena Wembley.

Tianer Yu had a sobering start to her World Championships career as world No 5 Miwa Harimoto stormed through the first game without conceding a point.

Last year’s Star Contender London winner was almost as ruthless in the second game, which she won 11-2, but Yu showed more of her game in the third, leading a couple of times and sitting at 7-7 before Harimoto pulled clear.

Tin-Tin Ho’s recent good form gave cause for optimism against Hina Hayata (WR 11), and on another day and with a little more fortune, she might have won.

The first game saw Ho bring up the first game point at 10-9, but Hayata reeled off the next three points. Ho was then 10-8 up in the second. Hayata saved those game points but was then faulted on the angle of serve, a decision she challenged unsuccessfully via the TTR review system. That gave Ho another game point, but again Hayata saved it and went on to win the game 13-11.

Ho hit back, a purple patch resulting in five successive points from 6-6 in the third, but Hayata stepped it up in the fourth, completing her victory for the loss of only three points.

Jasmin Wong, on her Worlds debut, faced Miyu Nagasaki (WR 16) – and it never looked as if there were 496 places between them in the rankings as No 512 Wong held her own.

Although she never led in the first two games, she was in touch and lost them 11-8 and 11-7. She led early in the third but saw her opponent take four successive points from 6-6 to bring up match points. Fighting all the way, Wong saved them all, but could not add a fifth as Nagasaki won the game 12-10 to complete overall victory for the silver medallists from two years ago.

Japan 3 England 0

Miwa Harimoto bt Tianer Yu 3-0 (11-0, 11-2, 11-7)

Hina Hayata bt Tin-Tin Ho 3-1 (12-10, 13-11, 6-11, 11-3)

Miyu Nagasaki bt Jasmin Wong 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 12-10)

Other matches

France, who struggled to qualify in the last available place via the European Championships – though would have course still received a place based on rankings – started strongly against Germany when Prithika Pavade beat Han Ying in four close games.

Sabine Winter levelled for Germany, in three against Charlotte Lutz, and the match turned on Match 3, when Nina Mittelham beat Yuan Jian Nan 3-2 (8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 13-15, 11-8) and Han Ying then completed victory as she beat Lutz in four.

Chinese Taipei defeated Korea Republic 3-1, recovering from losing the first match, when Kim Nayeong beat Wu Ying Syuan in four.

Yeh Yi-Tian overcame Korea’s Shin Yubin, also in four, to level it up and Chinese moved in front when Peng Yu-Han beat Park Gahyeon in three.

Shin fought hard to get the initiative back, but ultimately came up short despite a fine comeback against Wu, who eventually took the match 3-2 (12-10, 11-8, 11-13, 8-11, 11-8).

Romania selected a young team to face China, with no place for either Bernadette Szocs or Elizabeta Samara, their top two ranked players.

Although they acquitted themselves pretty well, neither Adina Diaconu, Andreea Dragoman nor Elena Zaharia were able to take a game off, respectively Sun Yingsha (WR 1), Kuai Man (WR 7) or Wang Yidi (WR 8).

Results

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