The 2025 Asian Table Tennis Championships are in full swing, and in the early hours of October 15 (Beijing time), a highly anticipated clash unfolded between the core players of the Chinese and Japanese men’s teams — Wang Chuqin and Tomokazu Harimoto — in the fourth match of the men’s team semifinal.
After losing earlier to Hiroto Shinozuka in the second match, Wang Chuqin once again faced immense pressure. Falling behind 0–1, he rallied heroically to claim a 3–2 victory, including a stunning 11–1 domination in one game and a comeback in the deciding fifth. With this win, the Chinese Table Tennis Team leveled the overall score at 2–2, keeping their hopes of reaching the final alive.
【Match Highlights】
Both players rank among the world’s elite — Wang Chuqin is currently world No. 1, while Tomokazu Harimoto sits at No. 4. Their head-to-head record before this match favored Wang with 12 wins to 3 losses, but Harimoto had won their most recent meeting — the men’s singles final at the 2025 WTT Yokohama Champions — giving him a psychological edge this time.
Heading into this fourth match, the pressure on Wang and Team China was immense. Earlier, Liang Jingkun and Wang Chuqin had both lost narrow 2–3 battles to Harimoto and Hiroto Shinozuka respectively, while Lin Shidong managed a gritty 3–2 comeback over Hiroto Shinozuka to keep China in the match at 1–2. If Wang lost again, China would be eliminated — there was no room for error.
【Match Summary】
Game 1:
Both players began cautiously. With Team China trailing overall, Wang Chuqin carried heavy mental pressure, while Harimoto, sensing victory, also appeared tense. As a result, rallies were short and errors frequent. Wang led early but was caught at 4–4, then slipped to 6–9, and despite fighting hard to 8–10, he couldn’t save the game points, losing 8–11.
Game 2:
Regaining focus, Wang exploded with aggression, firing off a blistering 9–0 run to open the game. Harimoto, playing too conservatively, committed numerous unforced errors. Wang maintained full control, conceding just one point before finishing the game 11–1, tying the match 1–1.
Game 3:
Now in rhythm, Wang stormed to a 4–1 lead, maintaining a 7–3 cushion. Harimoto fought back midway, narrowing to 7–5, but Wang responded sharply to reach 10–6. However, a string of forehand and backhand errors allowed Harimoto to close in to 10–9, forcing Wang to call a timeout.
After brief tactical advice from head coach Wang Hao, Wang returned with renewed focus. Using serve variation, he induced a direct return error from Harimoto to clinch the game 11–9, taking a 2–1 lead and moving within one game of victory.
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Game 4:
Harimoto fought back hard, jumping to a 5–2 lead before Wang countered to 4–5, prompting a Japanese timeout. Wang leveled at 5–5, then surged to 8–5, only for Harimoto to claw back to 8–8 and 9–9. The two traded points in a tense back-and-forth, saving and losing multiple game points. Wang briefly led 13–12 but missed his chance to close it out, and a serve-receive error cost him the game 13–15, sending the match into a decider.
Game 5:
The final game began poorly for Wang, who quickly trailed 1–4 and 2–5 at the side change. Yet under immense pressure, he fought back with ferocity, tying at 7–7 and overtaking 8–7. Though Harimoto’s edge shot leveled it at 8–8, Wang seized two key points with aggressive forehand attacks to reach 10–8. With one last burst of power, he closed the match 11–8, sealing an emotional 3–2 comeback victory.
With Wang Chuqin’s stunning performance, the Chinese Table Tennis Team pulled level at 2–2 against Japan in the men’s team semifinal. His mental resilience and explosive play — highlighted by the 11–1 game — reignited China’s championship hopes and set the stage for a thrilling final showdown.
