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.

Women’s Team

The women’s team were first 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.

England women were back in action as the evening session gets underway, but the challenge doesn’t get much easier as they face a Germany team made up of Annett Kaufmann (WR60), Yuan Wan (WR102) and Nina Mittleham (WR55).

Tin Tin Ho was up first for the England Leopards and she faced a familiar opponent in Annett Kaufmann, who she faced when England met Germany in the last 16 of the 2025 European Team Championships. Kaufmann raced into a 2-0 lead before Ho struck back pinching the third. Ho lead in the fourth, before Kaufmann took the advantage when the scores were level at 9-9 and 11-10 but it was the England number one who hit back and forced a decider. Ho stretched her German opponent, but the WR60 former Junior World Champion came out on top 11-9 in the final end.

Next up saw Tianer Yu back in action, after a tough start this morning as she faced Miwa Harimoto, Germany’s powerhouse, Nina Mittleham, didn’t prove any easier of an opponent despite her lower world ranking. Tianer Yu found herself on the end of a 2-0 deficit before she fought back, inspired by the home crowds support to take the third 11-9. Mittleham took the fourth and the match but not without fight from the London based youngster, who has a game under her belt moving into the final seeding fixture tomorrow.

Ella Pashley made her World Championships debut at the centenary championships, against the same team she made her European Team Championships debut, Germany, a formidable force in the women’s game. Despite Ella putting up a fight against Yuan Wan, she bowed out 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-9), a win for the German side which gave them joint top spot in Women’s group two along with second seeds Japan.

Men’s Team

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.

The England Leopards were back in action, led by Tom Jarvis once again, this time against against Sweden. The Swedes spearheaded by current world number two, Truls Moregardh, who will play this match as the teams number three, a decision made by former England coach who coached England against Sweden back in 2018 at the Copper Box, at the ITTF Team World Cup.

Tom Jarvis was first up once again where he faced Mattias Karlsson, the two recently met at WTT Feeder Dusseldorf which saw a number of match points shared between the two, before the former world championships singles silver medallist came out on top and went on to win the event. It seemed that the result could be the same, as Karlsson raced into the lead. Jarvis fought hard in the second battling to take it 12-10.

The biggest success story of the day for the English time then followed, Jarvis turned up the heat and stormed to a 3-1 victory, giving England their first match win in front of a roaring home crowd, on home soil.

Tom Jarvis celebrates his victory over Mattias Karlsson

England’s Sam Walker impressed against the world number one and the challenge didn’t get much easier as he stepped onto court to take on Anton Kallberg. Walker again showed his class and held game points in the opener before losing out 17-15. Kallberg then showed his class as the current world ranked 33 went on to take the second and third (11-7, 11-6), to level the scoreline between the two nations.