The World Team Table Tennis Championships for the Paris Olympics opened in South Korea, and the Japanese women's team got off to a good start by defeating Luxembourg in their first match.
The World Table Tennis Championships alternate between individual and team competitions every other year, and this year, the men's and women's team competitions began on the 16th in Busan, South Korea.
After a league match in which 40 men's and women's teams participated and were divided into 8 groups, a final tournament was held between the top 3 teams from each group, and those who made it to the top 8 would earn a team berth at the Paris Olympics. Two spots each for men and women will also be confirmed.
The Japan women's national team, ranked 2nd in the world, played against Luxembourg, ranked 19th in the world, in the first match of the group stage.
The tournament was held in such a way that the first team to win three out of five singles matches was the winner, and Japan's first player, Hina Hayata, was able to win in straight sets thanks to her improved backhand and powerful forehand.
The second player was 15-year-old Miwa Harimoto, who was participating in the world championship for the first time. She won the first game in a close contest with a deuce against a 60-year-old veteran player who was good at hitting irregular balls, and after that she won the first game. I took the initiative with my serve and won in straight sets as well.
The third player, Miu Hirano, also dominated her opponent and won in straight sets, taking six consecutive points from the first game.
Japan got off to a good start with a 3-0 win in the first match, as the three players who have been selected to represent the team at the Paris Games displayed their steady abilities.
On the other hand, the Japan men's national team had a bye in their first group stage match as their opponent, Nigeria, withdrew.
The tournament will run until the 25th of this month, with matches for both men's and women's teams to advance to the top eight on the 21st.