Germany made a statement start at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026, edging Japan 3-2 in a thrilling opening match. What looked on paper like a clash worthy of the later rounds quickly lived up to expectations inside the OVO Arena Wembley. Germany against Japan a rematch of the Tokyo Olympic semi-final – delivered three hours of high-level table tennis, five singles matches and multiple momentum swings. Dang QIU emerged as the standout performer for Germany. After a tight opening, the European singles champion took control against Sora MATSUSHIMA, winning 3-0 (12-10, 11-3, 11-3). He then produced another commanding display against world number three Tomokazu HARIMOTO, again winning in straight games 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-10), showcasing aggressive, high-tempo play that repeatedly forced errors from his opponent. Despite Qiu’s brilliance, Germany had to fight back. Benedikt DUDA pushed HARIMOTO to the limit but fell 2-3 (8-11, 11-10, 8-11, 11-8, 6-11), while Patrick FRANZISKA was narrowly beaten by Shunsuke TOGAMI 2-3 (11-5, 10-12, 9-11, 11-5, 6-11), allowing Japan to take a 2-1 lead. Qiu’s second victory restored parity, leaving Duda to decide the tie. The German rose to the occasion, defeating MATSUSHIMA 3-1 (11-5, 6-11, 11-8, 11-7) to seal a dramatic 3-2 win. “It feels like a big victory, even if it’s only the group stage,” said head coach Jörg ROßKOPF. “It was a great match, very intense. The guys played well against a top team that wants to win the title. Dang was outstanding, Benne finished it strongly, and Patrick also performed well. This gives us confidence.” While the group phase is as much about positioning as survival, this result sends a clear message. Germany are ready. For Japan, the defeat is not decisive, but it could influence their path in the knockout stage, potentially leading to an earlier meeting with top favourites China. Germany will next face France later in the evening, while their women’s team, after a 3-1 win over France, take on hosts England. In another Group 1 encounter, China opened with a convincing 3-0 win over England. Lin SHIDONG defeated Tom JARVIS in straight games (11-9, 11-5, 11-8), Wang CHUQIN overcame Samuel WALKER 3-1 (11-9, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6), and Liang JINGKUN sealed the tie by edging Connor GREEN in five games (11-7, 5-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9). Sweden also impressed with a strong 3-0 victory over Korea Republic. Truls MOREGARD recovered after dropping the opening game to beat AN Jaehyun (8-11, 11-5, 11-2, 12-10), Anton KALLBERG followed with a 3-1 win against JANG Woojin (4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8), while Mattias KARLSSON sealed the result in a hard-fought five-game encounter against OH Junsung (11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 16-14, 11-2). France, meanwhile, delivered a commanding 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei in Group 2. Alexis LEBRUN defeated KUO Guan-Hong (11-8, 11-8, 11-6), Felix LEBRUN overcame FENG Yi-Hsin (11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5), and Simon GAUZY completed the sweep with a straight-games victory against HSU Hsien-Chia (11-8, 11-8, 11-7). Germany off to winning start, take revenge against France Germany opened their campaign at the Women’s Event at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 with a 3-1 win over France, securing a long-awaited revenge for their narrow quarterfinal defeat in Busan two years ago. The tie did not begin as expected, with Ying HAN suffering a 1-3 loss to Prithika PAVADE. “I thought I would do better, but it turned out very differently… I played too passively at the important moments,” she admitted. Germany responded immediately. Sabine WINTER levelled the score with a confident 3-0 win over Charlotte LUTZ, explaining: “I tried not to focus on the score, but on my game point by point. I knew we had a strong team and would get the three points.” The turning point came with Nina MITTELHAM, who edged a high-quality five-game battle against Jia Nan Yuan. “After my last loss to her, I knew it wouldn’t be easy… but in the end I handled the close moments well,” she said, highlighting the team support that helped her push through. HAN then returned to seal the victory, defeating LUTZ in four games. “When the others had won two points, I just had to take the third and finish it,” she added. Head coach Tamara BOROS kept the bigger picture in mind: “Everything we play now is preparation for the most important part of the tournament. It’s good to win a close match it gives us confidence.” Japan opened their Group 2 campaign with a dominant 3-0 win over England. Miwa HARIMOTO was in complete control against Tianer YU (11-0, 11-2, 11-7), Hina HAYATA followed with a 3-1 victory over Tin-Tin HO (12-10, 13-11, 6-11, 11-3), while Miyu NAGASAKI sealed the tie with a straight-games win against Jasmin WONG (11-8, 11-7, 12-10). China also made a strong start, beating Romania 3-0. SUN Yingsha overcame Adina DIACONU (12-10, 11-5, 11-6), KUAI Man defeated Andreea DRAGOMAN (11-6, 11-6, 11-2), and WANG Yidi completed the sweep with a win over Elena ZAHARIA (11-6, 11-4, 11-6).

At the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026, 11 European women’s teams secured places in the knockout phase following Stage One and the preliminary round. Sweden, Serbia, Portugal, Wales, Italy and the Slovak Republic all advanced by topping their groups with perfect records. The Netherlands and Ukraine progressed as the best runners-up, while Poland, Croatia and Switzerland moved through to the decisive preliminary stage. That preliminary round, however, brought added drama and European teams were right at the centre of it. Croatia edged past Australia in a tense 3-2 encounter. Despite Liu Yangzi pushing hard for Australia with two wins, Croatia held their nerve, with Hana ARAPOVIC, Ivana MALOBABIC and Lea RAKOVAC delivering crucial victories, the latter sealing the tie in the deciding match. Poland also came through a demanding five-match battle, defeating Thailand 3-2. Natalia BAJOR and Katarzyna WEGRZYN kept Poland in contention before Zuzanna WIELGOS stepped up in the final match to secure progression. Not all European teams managed to advance. Hungary fell just short in a narrow 3-2 defeat to Switzerland, despite strong efforts from Rebeka NAGY and Nora DOHOCZKI, while Belgium’s campaign ended after a 3-0 loss to Kazakhstan. Now, attention shifts to the next phase, where the top eight teams enter the stage and the level rises even further. The schedule opens on Saturday morning with Chinese Taipei facing Korea, before a series of high-profile clashes later in the day. Germany meet England in an all-European encounter, while France take on Japan in another key tie. Korea continue their campaign against Romania, and China face Chinese Taipei in one of the standout matches. The action continues on Sunday with more crucial fixtures. Japan play Germany, France face England in another European duel, and China meet Korea in a highly anticipated clash. The final matches of the stage will see Chinese Taipei take on Romania, with positions in the knockout bracket on the line.

At the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026, 14 European men’s teams secured their place in the knockout phase after the group stage and preliminary round. Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Romania, Poland and Austria led the way, each topping their groups with flawless 3-0 records and setting the tone with confident, controlled performances. Just behind them, a second wave kept Europe’s momentum going. Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia and Belgium all progressed with only one defeat, showing both consistency and composure when it mattered most. The battle for the remaining spots added extra drama. Eight teams competed for four places in the main draw, and Serbia rose to the occasion with a 3-1 win over Mexico. Dimitrije LEVAJAC once again led from the front, while Uroš NINKOVIĆ’s comeback victory captured the fighting spirit that carried the team through. Italy also made a strong statement. After finishing as runners-up in their group, they produced one of the most convincing performances of the day, sweeping Argentina 3-0. John OYEBODE set the pace, with Matteo MUTTI and Danilo FASO backing him up to secure progression in style. For Greece, however, the journey came to an end after a narrow defeat to Moldova in a tightly contested final match. Now, the focus shifts to the next phase, where the top seeds enter the stage and the level rises even further. European heavyweights are immediately tested: Germany open against Japan before facing France in an all-European clash, while Sweden meet Korea and England in Group 1. France will also take on Chinese Taipei as they look to build momentum. The action continues on Sunday with another series of high-profile encounters, including France versus Japan and Germany against Chinese Taipei, while Sweden face China in one of the standout ties.