China crowned in men's team for 10th straight time at table tennis worlds

Lin Gaoyuan, Fan Zhendong, Coach Qin Zhijian, Ma Long, Wang Chuqin and Liang Jingkun (L to R) of China pose for photos during the awarding ceremony after the men's teams final match against Germany at the 2022 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)

CHENGDU, China, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- China made short work of their German counterparts 3-0 in the men's final here on Sunday at the World Team Table Tennis Championships and lifted the Swaythling Cup for the tenth time in a row and a record 22 times overall.

The last team having stopped China in a men's team final at worlds was Sweden in 2000.

Sunday's final was a repeat of the 2018 version and marked the sixth time that China and Germany met in the world title contest, with China prevailing on each occasion.

Jorg Rosskopf's squad failed to triumph again, as Olympic gold medalist Ma Long came out the only Chinese having dropped a set, seeing off Germany's top paddler and newly-crowned European champion Qiu Dang 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-1.

"Qiu is a very strong opponent. He's really explosive, and his high-quality backhand strokes gave me a lot of pressure. We both played good table tennis today," said Ma, who turns 34 years old in 11 days.

World No. 1 and world reigning singles champion Fan Zhendong opened the best-of-five games final with a straight-set victory over Benedikt Duda, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9. Wang Chuqin, 22, came up in the third game and beat Kay Stumper 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 to wrap up the match.

"The championship is not just a proof of our players' hard work, but also a result of the whole Chinese Table Tennis Association staff's efforts," Wang commented.

On Saturday, the Chinese women's team claimed its fifth straight world title after sweeping Japan 3-0. It was also a record-extending 22nd time for China to have lifted the Corbillon Cup in history.

The all-time leading Chinese team was last crowned in Halmstad, Sweden in 2018. With the 2020 tournament in Busan, South Korea being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chengdu 2022 is the sport's first team worlds in four years.