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 number one and current world champion, adored by hundreds of Chinese fans in attendance then helped China to a 2-0 lead as he defeated Sam Walker 3-1.

The game started thick and fast, with Wang Chuqin getting over the line 11-9, where walker held his own chances, just slightly missing the table with a backhand counter at 9-8 down to give the world number one 2 game points. Chuqin 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 Churn 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.

Connor Green raced into a 6-0 lead in the second end, showing he is competing at the very highest level.

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 – Women’s Team

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

Group 1: China 3 Romania 0, Chinese Taipei 3 Korea Republic 1
Group 2: Japan 3 England 0, Germany 3 France 1