Sun Ying Sha on the court
On May 10, 2026, the most anticipated women’s team final of the London World Team Table Tennis Championships took place. Defending champions China faced long-time rivals Japan for the sixth consecutive time in the Corbillon Cup final. Sun Ying Sha won two matches, and Wang Manyu secured the decisive rubber, leading China to a 3-2 hard-fought victory over Japan, clinching a seventh consecutive world team title.
Throughout the tournament in London, the Chinese women’s team demonstrated overwhelming dominance. In the group stage, they swept Romania, Chinese Taipei, and South Korea 3-0 each to advance as group winners. In the knockout rounds, despite young player Kuai Man losing a point in the round of 16 against Poland (3-1), the team won all subsequent matches 3-0 to reach the final.
Japan also showed strong form, with Miwa Harimoto, Hina Hayata, and Honoka Hashimoto defeating Germany 3-0 in the semifinals. Notably, Japan had not won a team gold in the World Championships since 1971.
Wang Manyu in action
Since 2014 in Tokyo, China and Japan have met in every women’s team final, with China holding a perfect record. However, at the 2024 Busan World Championships, China faced unprecedented difficulty, trailing 1-2 before Sun Ying Sha’s two wins and Chen Meng’s decisive victory secured a 3-2 comeback for a sixth consecutive title.
Before the final, Sun Ying Sha commented, “I believe everyone is looking forward to this match. Japan’s overall strength is growing, and their tactics are diverse. We need to stay calm and humble. No one has absolute superiority; it comes down to on-court performance and adaptability.” Wang Manyu added, “We hope to unite and fight for every point together.”
The match began with Miwa Harimoto taking a two-game lead before Wang Manyu leveled the score. In the deciding game, Harimoto won 11-4, giving Japan the first point. This marked Harimoto’s first international victory over Wang Manyu, ending an 11-match losing streak.
In the second rubber, Sun Ying Sha faced Hina Hayata and dominated, winning three straight games to tie the overall score at 1-1.
In the third match, Kuai Man struggled against chopper Honoka Hashimoto, losing 1-3, putting China in a 1-2 hole for the second consecutive World Championship final.
Kuai Man lost 1-3 to Hashimoto
In the fourth match, Sun Ying Sha faced Miwa Harimoto again. She was relentless, winning three straight games while allowing Harimoto only 12 points total. Her second victory of the night leveled the tie once more.
The deciding match saw Wang Manyu take on Hina Hayata. Wang started strong, winning the first game 11-7. She maintained control, winning the next two games by the same score to complete a 3-0 victory.
With Wang Manyu’s win, China secured a 3-2 comeback over Japan, claiming their seventh consecutive women’s team world championship title.