We’ve reached the quarter-final stage at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 Presented by ACN, with the matches being played over 7-8 May at OVO Arena Wembley.

With victory guaranteeing at least a bronze medal for reaching the semi-finals, the athletes were giving everything on the one-table set-up.

Friday’s quarter-finals

Men’s Team

China 3 Korea Republic 0

China avenged their Stage 1a defeat by Korea Republic, which was their first loss at this event in 26 years.

World No 1 Wang Chuqin did not play in that match, but he led his team out this time, against Oh Junsung, who won twice in the first encounter. And when he won the second game 11-1, on the back of taking the first 11-9, it looked like a big statement of intent.

Oh hit back 11-8 and 11-7 to revive thoughts of another upset, but Wang shut the door on that notion with an 11-7 scoreline in the decider.

Lin Shidong, who lost to Oh in the first match, came out firing and took the first 11-3 against Jang Woojin, but had to fight through an uncertain moment in the second game, when he saw Jang fight back from 9-1 and 10-7 down to deuce. But once he had taken his fifth chance at 12-11, it was a long way back for Jang, and Lin took the third 11-8.

Lian Jingkun, also beaten by Oh in Stage 1a, was up against An Jaehyun, who defeated Zhou Qihao in the first meeting. Liang, too, was in the mood and he took the first two games 11-7 and 11-5.

An fought hard to prolong Korea’s stay in London, forcing game point three times in the third, while also saving a match point. But Liang took his next chance, winning the game 15-13 and sending the Chinese fans at Wembley wild.

France 3 Brazil 0

Both teams were undefeated coming into the match as each had a flawless route from their group stages into the knockout rounds so far.

In the opening match, Flavien Coton took down the figurehead of the Brazilian team, Hugo Calderano. In three tight games, Coton got the upper hand on his opponent when it mattered as he took the match 12-10, 11-8, 11-9.

Next up for the French team was the younger of the Lebrun brothers, Felix, who took on Guilherme Teodoro.

Showing his class, Lebrun dispatched his opponent in comprehensive fashion as he swept to a 3-0 win. Taking the three matches 11-4, 11-2, 11-4, Felix set up his older brother Alexis to clinch the tie,

Alexis, three years older than his brother, took on Leonardo Iizuka seeking to set up a semi-final with China.

However the Brazilian was out to put a pause on the chants of ‘allez le bleu’ from the French fans, and he did so by clawing back to win the opening game 13-11.

The second game saw Lebrun rattle back into the match as he took it rapidly and in scintillating fashion 11-3, proving too much for his opponent to make it 1-1 in the match .

The third game was another close one. Lebrun opened up an advantage early on with Iizuka trying everything to keep him within touching distance, but it proved in vain as the Frenchman roared to an 11-4.

The fourth was a good battle as Lebrun looked to get his team over the line, whilst Teodoro was seeking to keep his nation in it.

Having opened up match point, the Frenchman was made to sweat by his opponent but was able to get it over the line and secure victory and a semi-final against China.

Women’s Team

Japan 3 Ukraine 0

Japan, silver medallists at the last five World Team Championships, are one match away from a sixth successive final after safely navigating their quarter-final with Ukraine.

The trio on duty did not drop a game between them, beginning with Honoka Hasmimoto defeating Anastasiya Dymytrenko 11-9, 11-7, 11-4.

Miwa Harimoto then got past Veronika Matiunina 11-9, 11-5, 11-6 and it was Hina Hayata who completed team victory with a scoreline of 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 against Tetyana Bilenko.

This victory for Japan sees them guarantee a bronze medal, with Germany standing in their way of reaching the final.

Romania 3 France 1

Despite Yuan Jia Nan taking the opening match against Adina Diaconu 3-2 (7-11, 13-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5), it was the Romanian team who advance to the semi-finals.

A double for their taliswoman Bernadette Szocs, who defeated Prithika Pavade 3-2 and Yuan Jia Nan 3-1, came either side of a 3-1 victory for Andreea Dragoman against Charlotte Lutz.

The result guarantees a Romanian team medal for the first time since 2000, ending a 26 year wait.

With at least a bronze in the bag, Romania lined up a semi-final with China in their quest for something more.

Thursday’s quarter-finals

Women’s Team

China 3 Korea Republic 0

The first quarter-final saw China women overcome Korea Republic 3-0. The opening rubber saw world-class precision from Wang Manyu, who overwhelmed Shin Yubin in straight games, dictating every exchange with authority to secure an emphatic win. Korea struggled to find answers against the Chinese No.1’s control and consistency, as China raced into the lead and never looked back, sealing a dominant quarter-final performance to end Korea Republic’s campaign.

Sun Yingsha overcame Kim Nayeong 3-2, losing her first games of this year’s championships in what was a tight affair, as Nayeong held the lead at 2-1, but it was the world number one who fought back and ensured China remained dominant and took a 2-0 victory. Wang Yidi played her part in the drama as she played a few tight games against Park Gahyeon, eventually coming out on top 3-1 and securing the favourites’ spot in the semi-final.

Germany 3 Hong, Kong China 1

A European dominating German side search for their semi-final place against surprise quarter-finalists in Hong Kong, who overcame Chinese Taipei after only just battling past Wales in the last 32, what seems like a lifetime ago. It was a tactical decision from Hong Kong who put Hoi Doo Kim (WR35) in at number two to face Germany’s Sabine Winter (WR9), and it nearly paid off for Hong Kong, as it was their number one that took a surprise 2-0 lead against Winter. It looked like it could be a 3-0 victory for Hong Kong, until a clever timeout from the German team saw a huge comeback launched where Winter took the match 11-4 in the fifth.

Ying Han the defensive star of Germany’s lineup then took on Ng Wing Lam and it was a tight start that saw patience pay off as it was Ying who took the first 11-9. The game was all square at 1-1 and a huge deuce game in the third went in favour of the the attacker from Hong Kong 17-15, before the defence of Hang Yin deuce in the fourth forced a fifth end for the second consecutive match. Ying Han held a 10-7 lead in the decider, the same lead she held in the fourth before being matched at 10-10, and once again I the fifth, from 10-7 it was all square at 10-10 before Ying Han took the win 15-13 in the fifth.

Hong Kong got on the board in the third fixture as Annett Kaufmann was toppled by Su Tsz Tung 3-1. It was deuce in the first end before the Hong Kong number three world ranked 82 took the lead. When scores were level at 1-1 it was it was the higher ranked player from Hong Kong who ran to a 3-1 victory.

Sabine Winter once again stepped foot onto the table and she had a different start to this match compared to her quarter final opener, taking the first a controlled, dominant, 11-1. Not a lot changed throughout, other than Winter taking away the chance for Hong Kong to reach the semi-final as she stormed to a 3-0 victory, placing Germany into the semi-final.

Men’s Team

Japan 3 Germany 1

In a repeat of the opening match in Group 2 from Stage 1a, where Germany overcame the number two seeds Japan 3-2. Japan exacted their revenge over the German giants in a match that was donated by the current world ranked number two nation, led by their dominant number one Tomokazu Harimoto (WR3).

Harimoto got off to a flying start once again overcoming the left handed German star, Benedikt Duda (WR13), this time a different scoreline. The first time around, Harimoto came out on top in the fifth and deciding end, however today, it was a more straight forward 11-4, 11-4, 11-6, giving the Japanese team an early lead.

Japan’s Sora Matushima (WR8) then took on Germanys Dang Qiu (WR10). Qiu Dang overcame Matushima in the seeding group stage in three closely contested games, and quickly got off to a fast start against his familiar Japanese opponent, but today the story had a different ending. Sora Matushima decided he would bring his A-game and hit back to take the next three games 11-2, 12-10, 11-5 and claim the match to put Japan in reaching distance of the much desired semi-final spot.

The comeback looked like it could be on when Patrick Franziska raced into an early 7-0 lead over Shunsuke Togami and stormed in to a 2-0 lead. Togami managed to hit back in the fourth end, but wasn’t able to stop the power of Patrick Franziska as he put Germany on the board and came through 3-1.

Then came a rematch that English fans should be familiar with, as the two team number ones selected for this fixture went head to head. It was Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto against Dang Qiu for the German’s. Dang Qiu came out on top in London back in October to lift his first WTT Star Contender title, and it was the German who took victory in Stage 1a last Saturday, in three straight games! It looked as if Qiu was going to take the lead when he lead 10-8 but four straight points for Harimoto saw him edge the first. Harimoto then continued to command, taking the second again by two points at deuce, this time 15-13. In the third, Harimoto lead all the way despite being pushed toward the end and saw out the match 1q1-9 to give Japan the victory and confirm their semi-final spot against either Sweden or Chinese Taipei.

Chinese Taipei 3 Sweden 2

What a fixture, the new top seeds, Sweden, after dismantling China in Stage 1a take on the team lead by the silent assassin and World Ranked 7, Lin Yun Ju. The teams entered the vibrant arena with a huge welcome from the Chinese Taipei fans, and it was both teams’ highest ranked players who faced off in the first fixture. Truls Moregard (WR2) against Lin Yun Ju (WR7). It was the lower ranked, Chinese Taipei star that took the match with a tremendous whitewash, three straight victory to give the Chinese Taipei team a fantastic start.

Sweden was calling upon the services of Anton Kallberg, faultless so far in his campaign, took on the 17-year-old Kuo Guan Hong of Chinese Taipei, in the first encounter between these players at any competition. The thriller went the distance, 11-7 in the fifth, with the favoured Kallberg, ranked 33 in the world, losing out to the underdog, to give Chinese Taipei a huge 2-0 match lead, a result not many would have expected.

The man of Stage 1a, Elias Ranefur, who defeated Liang Jingkun of China to help Sweden topple the world number ones has lots of pressure on his shoulders, at two to the good, to save Sweden as a win from Feng Yi-Hsin would see Sweden exit the contest. Feng Yi-Hsin no stranger to the European game, comes up against Ranefur who has a distinct style and ranked 70 in the world is favourite, just three places higher on the ranking list than his opponent in this epic fixture. It was Chinese Taipei who took the first, but Ranefur hit back in the second with a dominant display. Ranefur kept the Swede’s dream alive, and took the win 3-1 and forced more battles for a very busy crowd.

Truls Moregard entered the fray once more this time against the surprise winner in the second match, Kuo Guan Hong, and thing went back to normal for the world number two, a dominant display as we often see, this time his experience and talent proved too much for the young man, despite him holding his own game points in the third.

Now work to do for both sides, the match poised at 2-2, it goes to a decider to be contested between Kallberg and Lin Yun-Ju. The silent assassin claimed the first two ends, and the second couldn’t have been any closer as he took the game point with the faintest of edges, and it was the Chinese Taipei who came out on top, and got the victory and secured at least a bronze medal at the World Championships.

More photos

By Sam Mellish and Michael Loveder