Sweden have made a confident and eye-catching start at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026, remaining unbeaten after two matches and setting up a blockbuster clash with China.
On Saturday, the Swedish men delivered two strong performances, first sweeping past Korea 3-0 and then overcoming hosts England 3-1. It was a day that showed quality and hinted that this team is ready for something big.
The opening win against Korea was particularly impressive. Truls MOREGARDH grew into his match after a slow start, while Anton KALLBERG finally broke his losing streak against JANG Woojin with a composed performance. The highlight, however, came from Mattias KARLSSON, who saved five match points before turning the match around in dramatic fashion.
“We’re all in very good form,” KARLSSON said after the match. “When I was facing match points, I just focused on one ball at a time. It turned into a really nice comeback.”
That momentum carried into the evening session against England. Despite dropping the opening match, Sweden stayed calm. KÄLLBERG levelled the tie after a tight opening set, MOREGARDH controlled his match against Connor Green, and KÄLLBERG returned to seal the 3-1 win with authority.
Sweden’s strong start now takes on even greater significance following one of the biggest shocks in recent table tennis history. China unbeaten at the World Championships for 26 years were defeated by Korea, completely changing the dynamics in Group 1.
Heading into the final round, Sweden sit on two wins, with both China and Korea on one. A victory over China would secure top spot in the group. And depending on the Korea–England result, even a single individual win against China could be enough for Sweden to finish first thanks to a superior match ratio.
