At the table tennis team world championships held in China, the Japanese men beat Portugal in the quarter-finals of the final tournament to advance to the semi-finals, confirming their first medal in two tournaments.
The Japanese men, ranked 3rd in the world at the team world championship, played against Portugal, ranked 9th in the world, in the quarterfinals of the final tournament on the 7th.
In the first game, Shunsuke Togami, who won the All Japan Championship this year, lost the first game, but in the second game, he scored with a tenacious rally and a forehand smash, and won the game with a score of 11 to 6. was made 1:1.
In the 3rd game that followed, Togami made powerful shots that swung his arms as hard as he could. rice field.
In the second match, ace HARIMOTO Tomokazu overwhelmed the opponents from beginning to end with quick-timed backhands, and won with a score of 3-0.
In the 3rd match, Mizuki Oikawa lost with a score of 2-3, but Harimoto, who reappeared in the 4th match, won the match with a score of 3-1.
As a result, Japan beat Portugal 3-1 to advance to the semi-finals.
As there is no 3rd place match at this tournament, Japan's first medal in two tournaments has been confirmed.
Harimoto: “There is nothing this team cannot do.”
Tomokazu Harimoto said, "Togami played the best match in the first match. Oikawa also played a tenacious match, so I thought I had no choice but to decide here. This team can't do it. I don't think there will be anything, so I want to unite and do my best."