LONDON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Wang Chuqin claimed two wins as China rallied to beat Romania 3-1 on Wednesday and reached the men's team quarterfinals at the 2026 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals.
China fell behind early when Liang Jingkun lost 11-5, 11-7, 11-6 to Eduard Ionescu, the highest-ranked player in Romania's lineup.
"I was a bit tight at the start, and he performed better. After he had some excellent shots, my mentality was impacted and I failed to catch up with him afterwards," Liang said.
"As I don't have much advantage technically and tactically, I need to go all out against every opponent," he added.
Wang, the world No. 1, restored parity by beating Iulian Chirita in straight games. He took the first 11-5, then recovered from a 5-1 deficit in the second to level at 8-8 before edging it 12-10. He closed out the match 11-5.
"I prepared fully for this match. After trailing in the second game, I managed to turn the tables, which boosted my confidence in the third," Wang said.
Lin Shidong put China ahead with an 11-9, 11-6, 11-4 win over Ovidiu Ionescu in the third match. The 36-year-old Romanian called two TTR reviews in the second game, but both decisions went against him.
"The third match was quite crucial, but I didn't think too much about it. I was just focused on every point," Lin said.
"I felt that I didn't truly brace for high-intensity competition in the group stage. Hopefully I will be more pumped up in the upcoming matches," he added.
Wang then sealed the tie against Eduard Ionescu. He led 8-2 in the opening game before the Romanian closed to within one point, but Wang held on for an 11-8 win. Ionescu took the second 11-8, but Wang responded to win the next two games 11-3, 11-4.
"Eduard is a strong player, and I expected it to be a tough match. Due to Lin's win in the third match, I felt more relieved on the court," Wang said.
China will face either South Korea or Austria in the quarterfinals.
Elsewhere, Chinese Taipei beat Denmark 3-0 in the men's team event. In the women's draw, Hong Kong, China edged Chinese Taipei 3-2, while Japan swept Luxembourg 3-0. ■
