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.

In the women’s competition at the TTF World Team Championships Finals London 2026, the opening phase has progressed with eight groups completed, while other half remain in play. Among the completed groups, Sweden produced a flawless performance to top their group ahead of Canada, Sri Lanka and Costa Rica. Serbia matched that level of consistency, finishing first in Group 8 with victories over Thailand, Slovenia and Benin to secure direct passage to the main draw. In the remaining groups that are still underway, several European teams are currently in strong positions. Poland and Spain are both in contention in Group 9, where the final outcome is yet to be decided. Portugal lead Group 10 with two wins, ahead of Luxembourg, while both remain in the race for the top spot. Group 11 is finely balanced, with Wales sharing the lead after two wins, while in Group 13 Italy have made a strong start and currently sit at the top ahead of Croatia and Türkiye. Austria also lead their group with two victories, positioning themselves well for direct qualification. Hungary and Greece remain in contention in Group 15 behind Singapore, while the Slovak Republic have opened with two wins in Group 16 and are on course to challenge for first place. With Sweden and Serbia already confirmed as group winners and several other European teams well placed ahead of the final round of matches, the continent continues to demonstrate its depth in the women’s event. In the final round of Group 7, Sweden confirmed their dominance with a 3-0 win over Sri Lanka. Linda BERGSTROM opened with a straight-games victory against Tamadi Kavindya ALAGIYAWADU, Christina KALLBERG followed by defeating Bimandee BANDARA, while Nomin BAASAN sealed the win against Shamalsha HALAWATHAGE. Serbia secured top position in Group 8 with a 3-1 victory over Slovenia. Sabina SURJAN defeated Ana TOFANT convincingly, Sara TOKIC responded for Slovenia with a win over Aneta MAKSUTI, Izabela LUPULESKU restored Serbia’s lead by beating Katarina STRAZAR, before SURJAN completed the job with a second win, overcoming TOKIC.

The opening phase of the TTF World Team Championships Finals London 2026 has been largely completed, with four men’s groups and eight women’s groups still to be played later today. In the men’s event Denmark set the tone in Group 3 with a perfect record, finishing ahead of Mexico, Madagascar and Mongolia. Spain followed with an equally strong performance in Group 5, topping the group in front of Slovenia, Czechia and Bahrain. Portugal controlled proceedings in Group 6, winning all three matches, while Croatia mirrored that success in Group 8, finishing first ahead of Serbia, Luxembourg and Qatar. Romania delivered a consistent campaign to lead Group 9, ahead of Argentina, Peru and Benin, while Poland completed a clean sweep in Group 12, securing top spot in front of Moldova, Chile and Tahiti. In the last round, Denmark confirmed their dominance with a 3-0 victory over Mongolia, as Jonathan GROTH defeated Ankhbayar BILGUUN in straight games, Anders LIND followed with a convincing win over Bat Orgil LODOIDAMBA, and Tobias RASMUSSEN completed the sweep against Enkhtuguldur BODISUREN. Spain secured top spot with a 3-1 win over Czechia, where Juan PEREZ overcame Radim MORAVEK, Alvaro ROBLES beat Pavel SIRUCEK in straight games and added a second victory against MORAVEK, while Daniel BERZOSA fell to Stepan BRHEL. Portugal sealed first place with a 3-0 victory over Greece. Marcos FREITAS recovered after dropping the opening game to beat Georgios STAMATOUROS, Tiago APOLONIA edged Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS in four games including a tight second game, and Joao GERALDO completed the tie with a comeback win against Panagiotis GIONIS. Croatia maintained their perfect record with a 3-0 win over Qatar, as Ivor BAN defeated Mohammed ABDULWAHHAB, Filip ZELJKO overcame Rawad ALNASER and Andrej GACINA beat Sultan AL-KUWARI. Romania confirmed top position in Group 9 with a 3-1 victory over Peru. Andrei ISTRATE defeated Felipe DUFFOO, Darius MOVILEANU was edged by Carlos FERNANDEZ in five games, Iulian CHIRITA dominated Rodrigo HIDALGO, before MOVILEANU secured the decisive point against DUFFOO. Poland had to battle hard to secure first place, edging Moldova 3-2 in a dramatic encounter. Milosz REDZIMSKI opened with a win over Andrei PUTUNTICA (13-11, 11-9, 12-14, 11-8), Marek BADOWSKI lost to Vladislav URSU, Maciej KUBIK restored the lead against Denis TERNA, before REDZIMSKI fell to URSU. In the decisive match, BADOWSKI secured the victory over PUTUNTICA.

The second round of the group stage at the ITTF World Team Championships Finals London 2026 continued to showcase strong performances from European teams. Romania produced a confident 3-0 win over Argentina, but the scoreline did not fully reflect the fight on the table. Eduard IONESCU set the tone with a 3-1 victory over Francisco SANCHI, before Iulian CHIRITA added a straight-games win. The closest match came at the end, where Ovidiu IONESCU had to dig deep to overcome Santiago LORENZO in five games. Poland also secured a 3-0 victory against Chile, although Marek BADOWSKI was pushed to the limit before turning his match around from 0-2 down. Milosz REDZIMSKI and Maciej KUBIK delivered solid performances to complete the win. A particularly strong showing came from Portugal, who defeated Algeria 3-0 in a series of tightly contested matches. Marcos FREITAS and Tiago APOLONIA both came through demanding five-game encounters, while Joao GERALDO sealed the tie with a composed straight-games win. Over in the Women’s Team event, one of the standout matches of the session came in Group 8, where Serbia edged past Thailand after a marathon battle lasting just under three hours and 15 minutes. Sabina SURJAN proved to be the difference-maker, winning both the opening and the deciding matches. She first overcame Orawan PARANANG in five games, before holding her nerve again in the final match against Suthasini SAWETTABUT to seal a crucial victory for Serbia and put her team in control of the group. In Group 9, Poland claimed an important 3-1 win over Spain, but it was far from straightforward. Natalia BAJOR gave Poland a strong start with a confident win over Sofia-Xuan ZHANG, before Maria XIAO responded to level the tie. Katarzyna WEGRZYN then came through a tight five-game battle against Maria BERZOSA to restore Poland’s lead, setting the stage for BAJOR to step up once more. In another close encounter, she defeated XIAO in five games to secure the overall victory.

One hundred years after the very first World Championships were staged in London, the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 officially opened at the Copper Box Arena, marking a symbolic return to the birthplace of the sport’s global stage. Back in 1926, a small group of enthusiasts gathered in Farringdon to form the International Table Tennis Federation and launch the inaugural championships. A century later, the world’s best teams have once again assembled in the British capital, closing a historic circle. Teams from across the globe are competing for table tennis’ most prestigious team trophies – the Swaythling Cup, awarded to the men’s champions since that first edition, and the Corbillon Cup, introduced for the women’s competition in 1933. Over 13 days of action, culminating at the OVO Arena Wembley, two nations will etch their names into centenary history. Stage 1B is now underway, featuring 56 men’s teams and 56 women’s teams divided into 14 groups. The opening day delivered a mix of high-quality performances, surprises, and tightly contested encounters – an early indication of what promises to be a compelling competition. In the Men’s Team event, Spain produced one of the standout results, defeating Slovenia 3-1 in Group 5. Alvaro ROBLES led the charge with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Darko JORGIC, overturning a deficit in the deciding game to prevail 13-11. European teams enjoyed a strong start across the opening matches, recording a series of convincing victories. Austria defeated Malaysia 3-0, while Belgium beat Fiji 3-0 and Italy secured a 3-0 walkover win against Togo. Hungary overcame Uzbekistan 3-0, and Poland saw off French Polynesia by the same margin. Croatia defeated Luxembourg 3-1 in another all-European encounter. Romania beat Benin 3-0, and Serbia also impressed with a 3-0 victory over Qatar. Czechia overcame Bahrain 3-0, Denmark defeated Mexico 3-0, and Slovakia beat Guatemala 3-0. Portugal added to the tally with a 3-0 win over Nicaragua, while Greece secured a solid 3-1 victory against Algeria. Moldova also contributed with a 3-1 win over Chile European teams also made a strong impression in the Women’s Team event, delivering a series of confident performances across the opening matches. The Netherlands defeated Macau 3-0, while Slovakia overcame Switzerland 3-0. Czechia secured a 3-0 win against Mongolia, and Hungary recorded a 3-0 walkover victory over Ethiopia. Wales impressed with a 3-0 win against Nigeria, while Luxembourg beat Guatemala by the same margin. Portugal also advanced with a 3-0 walkover win over Barbados, and Spain claimed a 3-0 walkover victory against the Dominican Republic. Austria defeated Angola 3-0, while Belgium overcame Algeria 3-0. Croatia produced a strong performance with a 3-0 win against Argentina, and Sweden followed with a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica. Serbia beat Benin 3-0, Italy defeated Türkiye 3-0, and Ukraine also recorded a 3-0 win against Rwanda. Slovenia 1-3 loss to Thailand and Greece 0-3 against Singapore. Action continues at the Copper Box Arena as Stage 1B progresses, with teams battling for progression and a place in the decisive stages at Wembley, where the finals will be held on 10 May.