Sweden experienced mixed emotions on Wednesday at the ITTF World Team Championships Finals in London, as the men’s team advanced confidently to the quarterfinals while the women’s campaign came to an end against defending champions China.
The Swedish women faced a daunting challenge in the Round of 16 against the six-time consecutive world champions, and China once again demonstrated why they remain the dominant force in women’s table tennis.
Despite the straight-games defeat, Sweden showed determination throughout the tie. Linda BERGSTRÖM, Stina KÄLLBERG and Filippa BERGAND all battled hard, but the class and consistency of China’s stars proved overwhelming.
Whether it was SUN Yingsha, WANG Manyu or WANG Yidi, the pattern remained the same. Sweden created opportunities in rallies, but the Chinese players repeatedly found solutions and maintained extraordinary control under pressure.
Later in the day, Sweden’s men produced a much more comfortable evening, defeating Croatia 3-0 to secure a quarterfinal place against Chinese Taipei.
Team captain Marcus SJÖBERG selected Anton KÄLLBERG, Truls MÖREGÅRDH and Elias RANEFUR for the knockout clash, and all three delivered strong performances.
KÄLLBERG opened the tie against Tomislav PUCAR, an opponent who had previously caused him plenty of problems internationally. This time, however, the Swede played with great confidence and attacking intent, overcoming the Croatian in four games to give Sweden the lead.
MÖREGÅRDH then faced experienced veteran Andrej GACINA in a dramatic five-game battle. The Swedish star twice moved ahead before eventually dominating the deciding game to double Sweden’s advantage.
“It feels really good. I had never beaten GACINA before because his spin variation usually causes me a lot of trouble. It was difficult again today, but I managed to find solutions at the most important moments and I’m especially happy with the way I played the final game. The whole team showed great confidence today,” said MÖREGÅRDH.
The tie was closed out in convincing style by RANEFUR, who completely controlled his match against Filip ZELJKO. The young Swede maintained relentless pressure from start to finish and secured victory in straight games.
“I gain confidence from all the hard work I’ve put in over many years. Even though this is my first World Championships, I feel calm because I trust my ability to find solutions during matches. Today I moved very well and found good quality both in my serve and attacking shots, which made things very difficult for him,” explained RANEFUR.
Sweden will now face Chinese Taipei in Thursday’s quarterfinal.
Sweden – China 0-3
- Linda BERGSTRÖM – SUN Yingsha 0-3 (3-11, 4-11, 4-11)
- Stina KÄLLBERG – WANG Manyu 0-3 (5-11, 0-11, 3-11)
- Filippa BERGAND – WANG Yidi 0-3 (7-11, 4-11, 4-11)
Sweden – Croatia 3-0
- Anton KÄLLBERG – Tomislav PUCAR 3-1 (12-10, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8)
- Truls MÖREGÅRDH – Andrej GACINA 3-2 (11-6, 10-12, 11-9, 6-11, 11-5)
- Elias RANEFUR – Filip ZELJKO 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-5)
