We’ve reached the quarter-final stage at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 Presented by ACN, with the matches being played over 7-8 May at OVO Arena Wembley.
Women’s quarter-finals
China v Korea Republic (Thursday 7 May 10:00)
The first quarter-final of the day saw China women overcome Korea Republic 3-0. The opening rubber saw world-class precision from Wang Manyu, who overwhelmed Shin Yubin in straight games, dictating every exchange with authority to secure an emphatic win. Korea struggled to find answers against the Chinese No.1’s control and consistency, as China raced into the lead and never looked back, sealing a dominant quarter-final performance to end Korea Republic’s campaign.
Sun Yingsha overcame Kim Nayeong 3-2, losing her first games of this year’s championships in what was a tight affair, as Nayeong held the lead at 2-1, but it was the world number one who fought back and ensured China remained dominant and took a 2-0 victory. Wang Yidi played her part in the drama as she played a few tight games against Park Gahyeon, eventually coming out on top 3-1 and securing the favourites’ spot in the semi-final.
Germany v Hong, Kong China (Thursday 7 May 17:00)
A European dominating German side search for their semi-final place against surprise quarter-finalists in Hong Kong, who overcame Chinese Taipei after only just battling past Wales in the last 32, what seems like a lifetime ago. It was a tactical decision from Hong Kong who put Hoi Doo Kim (WR35) in at number two to face Germany’s Sabine Winter (WR9), and it nearly paid off for Hong Kong, as it was their number one that took a surprise 2-0 lead against Winter. It looked like it could be a 3-0 victory for Hong Kong, until a clever timeout from the German team saw a huge comeback launched where Winter took the match 11-4 in the fifth.
Ying Han the defensive star of Germany’s lineup then took on Ng Wing Lam and it was a tight start that saw patience pay off as it was Ying who took the first 11-9. The game was all square at 1-1 and a huge deuce game in the third went in favour of the the attacker from Hong Kong 17-15, before the defence of Hang Yin deuce in the fourth forced a fifth end for the second consecutive match. Ying Han held a 10-7 lead in the decider, the same lead she held in the fourth before being matched at 10-10, and once again I the fifth, from 10-7 it was all square at 10-10 before Ying Han took the win 15-13 in the fifth.
Hong Kong got on the board in the third fixture as Annett Kaufmann was toppled by Su Tsz Tung 3-1. It was deuce in the first end before the Hong Kong number three world ranked 82 took the lead. When scores were level at 1-1 it was it was the higher ranked player from Hong Kong who ran to a 3-1 victory.
Sabine Winter once again stepped foot onto the table and she had a different start to this match compared to her quarter final opener, taking the first a controlled, dominant, 11-1. Not a lot changed throughout, other than Winter taking away the chance for Hong Kong to reach the semi-final as she stormed to a 3-0 victory, placing Germany into the semi-final.
Ukraine v Japan (Friday 8 May 10:00)
France v Romania (Friday 8 May 17:00)
Men’s quarter-finals
Germany v Japan (Thursday 7 May 12:30)
In a repeat of the opening match in Group 2 from Stage 1a, where Germany overcame the number two seeds Japan 3-2. Japan exacted their revenge over the German giants in a match that was donated by the current world ranked number two nation, led by their dominant number one Tomokazu Harimoto (WR3).
Harimoto got off to a flying start once again overcoming the left handed German star, Benedikt Duda (WR13), this time a different scoreline. The first time around, Harimoto came out on top in the fifth and deciding end, however today, it was a more straight forward 11-4, 11-4, 11-6, giving the Japanese team an early lead.
Japan’s Sora Matushima (WR8) then took on Germanys Dang Qiu (WR10). Qiu Dang overcame Matushima in the seeding group stage in three closely contested games, and quickly got off to a fast start against his familiar Japanese opponent, but today the story had a different ending. Sora Matushima decided he would bring his A-game and hit back to take the next three games 11-2, 12-10, 11-5 and claim the match to put Japan in reaching distance of the much desired semi-final spot.
The comeback looked like it could be on when Patrick Franziska raced into an early 7-0 lead over Shunsuke Togami and stormed in to a 2-0 lead. Togami managed to hit back in the fourth end, but wasn’t able to stop the power of Patrick Franziska as he put Germany on the board and came through 3-1.
Then came a rematch that English fans should be familiar with, as the two team number ones selected for this fixture went head to head. It was Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto against Dang Qiu for the German’s. Dang Qiu came out on top in London back in October to lift his first WTT Star Contender title, and it was the German who took victory in Stage 1a last Saturday, in three straight games! It looked as if Qiu was going to take the lead when he lead 10-8 but four straight points for Harimoto saw him edge the first. Harimoto then continued to command, taking the second again by two points at deuce, this time 15-13. In the third, Harimoto lead all the way despite being pushed toward the end and saw out the match 1q1-9 to give Japan the victory and confirm their semi-final spot against either Sweden or Chinese Taipei.
Sweden v Chinese Taipei (Thursday 7 May 19:30)
What a fixture, the new top seeds, Sweden, after dismantling China in Stage 1a take on the team lead by the silent assassin and World Ranked 7, Lin Yun Ju. The teams entered the vibrant arena with a huge welcome from the Chinese Taipei fans, and it was both teams’ highest ranked players who faced off in the first fixture. Truls Moregard (WR2) against Lin Yun Ju (WR7). It was the lower ranked, Chinese Taipei star that took the match with a tremendous whitewash, three straight victory to give the Chinese Taipei team a fantastic start.
Sweden was calling upon the services of Anton Kallberg, faultless so far in his campaign, took on the 17-year-old Kuo Guan Hong of Chinese Taipei, in the first encounter between these players at any competition. The thriller went the distance, 11-7 in the fifth, with the favoured Kallberg, ranked 33 in the world, losing out to the underdog, to give Chinese Taipei a huge 2-0 match lead, a result not many would have expected.
The man of Stage 1a, Elias Ranefur, who defeated Liang Jingkun of China to help Sweden topple the world number ones has lots of pressure on his shoulders, at two to the good, to save Sweden as a win from Feng Yi-Hsin would see Sweden exit the contest. Feng Yi-Hsin no stranger to the European game, comes up against Ranefur who has a distinct style and ranked 70 in the world is favourite, just three places higher on the ranking list than his opponent in this epic fixture. It was Chinese Taipei who took the first, but Ranefur hit back in the second with a dominant display. Ranefur kept the Swede’s dream alive, and took the win 3-1 and forced more battles for a very busy crowd.
Truls Moregard entered the fray once more this time against the surprise winner in the second match, Kuo Guan Hong, and thing went back to normal for the world number two, a dominant display as we often see, this time his experience and talent proved too much for the young man, despite him holding his own game points in the third.
Now work to do for both sides, the match poised at 2-2, it goes to a decider to be contested between Kallberg and Lin Yun-Ju. The silent assassin claimed the first two ends, and the second couldn’t have been any closer as he took the game point with the faintest of edges, and it was the Chinese Taipei who came out on top, and got the victory and secured at least a bronze medal at the World Championships.
Korea Republic v China (Friday 8 May 12:30)
Brazil v France (Friday 8 May 19:30)