On October 2 Beijing time, the WTT China Grand Smash once again delivered a high-profile China vs Japan showdown. Chinese Table Tennis Team world champion Liang Jingkun faced 18-year-old Japanese rising star Matsushima Haruki. Despite coming back from being down 0-1 and 1-2 to level the match at 2-2, Liang failed to secure the decisive game and ultimately lost 2-3, getting eliminated in the round of 16 and missing his chance to fight for the title. Detailed match report below.
[Match Highlights]
Liang Jingkun, born in 1996, is currently ranked world No. 6; Matsushima Haruki, born in 2007, is ranked world No. 24. Both are main players of the Chinese Table Tennis Team and the Japanese National Team respectively, and both have won national championships in men’s singles, showcasing their considerable strength. However, due to the large age gap, they have rarely faced each other, having only played once before—Liang won that encounter.
In the previous round, Liang came back from 0-1 down to defeat his teammate and world champion Lin Gaoyuan 3-1, while Matsushima also delivered a strong performance, beating European Champion and German mainstay Franziska 3-1. In their opening matches, both had also beaten Chinese players (Liang defeated Wen Ruibo 3-1, Matsushima swept Xue Fei 3-0). With both players in fine form, this clash was expected to be highly unpredictable.
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[Match Progress]
From the start, Matsushima displayed the energy of a young player, launching aggressive attacks to suppress Liang. He quickly built a lead while Liang, known for being a slow starter, struggled to find rhythm. At 3-7 down, Liang clawed back a point, but soon trailed 4-10, facing game points. Another mistake sealed it 4-11, and Matsushima took the opening game.
In the second game, Liang raised the quality of his backhand offense to put pressure on Matsushima’s backhand, quickly establishing a lead. Matsushima responded by accelerating his attacks to disrupt Liang’s rhythm, but Liang steadied himself at the critical points and narrowly secured the game 11-9, leveling the match.
The third game was fiercely contested, with neither player able to open up a big gap. Liang’s raw power was often offset by Matsushima’s superior speed, while Matsushima’s sharp attacks occasionally faltered in stability. They traded points, but Liang couldn’t overturn the deficit when trailing, eventually losing 8-11 and falling behind 1-2.
In the fourth game, with no room for error, the Chinese world champion increased the quality of his shots to break through Matsushima’s defense. At this stage, with victory in sight, Matsushima showed signs of nerves and began playing conservatively, which Liang capitalized on with counterattacks. Liang took the game 11-8, forcing a deciding fifth set.
The final game saw Liang start poorly, falling behind 1-4. He mounted a strong counterattack to tie at 4-4, but Matsushima disrupted him again with clever left-handed placements, scoring three straight points to lead 7-4. Liang fought back to 8-8, but Matsushima regained momentum, winning two straight points to reach match point. Liang failed to respond, and Matsushima closed the game 11-8. Overcome with excitement, the 18-year-old fell to the floor in celebration.
