Site Products

Mixed Team World Cup: China Wins, TeamUSA Finishes 8th

by Steve Hopkins, photo ITTF)

TeamUSA had a tough fight to get through the Group Stage of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu.  With China in their group, there was no question as to which team would finish first, and only two teams would advance.  TeamUSA was one of  the remaining three teams (USA, India, Australia) that finished with the same 1-2 record.  USA had won handily in their opening group match over India (8-3), but then lost to Australia (7-8).  And India topped Australia 8-6. In the end, TeamUSA won the tie breaker and advanced – moving into the second group round which involved the final 8 teams.

TeamUSA did not defeat any of the other squads in Stage 2.  They did manage to win 12 games (losing 56) as they matched up against 7 of the toughest teams in the world (China, Korea, Hong Kong, Romania, Japan, Germany, and France).  When the dust settled, it was China, Korea, Hong Kong, and Romania that advanced to the Knock Out Round.

In the final matches, it was China over Romania 8-1 and Korea over Hong Kong 8-5.  China then sealed the win with an 8-1 victory in the Final (and Hong Kong finished third with an 8-2 win over Romania).

For China, it was another dominant performance to close out a dominant 2024.  This was not their most dominant year overall, but their men finished in the Top 2 ranking slots (6 of the Top 10) and their women finished in the Top 5 ranking slots – so despite some upsets in major events this year, China has figured prominently in every major event (and with their best players present at this mixed event, it would be difficult to imagine anything except a win for China in Chengdu).  For the other top finishing teams, they also their best players present Romania had Ionescu and Szos playing, Hong Kong had Doo and Wong, Korea had Shin, Cho and Oh.

For some of the other top squads, their best players just finished a long year with a lot of travel and those players did not extend their season into December with this extra event in China.  Japan, for instance, did not send the Harimotos or their other top players, Germany did not send any of their top men, and France did not have the Lebrun brothers.  Instead, many teams chose to fill their rosters largely with young players.  This was also the case with the United States, who managed these great results without Lily Zhang or Kanak Zha or Amy Wang.  Our squad of Nandan Naresh, Jishan Liang, Jessica Reyes Lai, Sid Naresh, Sally Moyland, Tiffany Ke, XiangJing Zhang, and Kayla Goodwin held their own.  For TeamUSA, the goal is continue to develop, and the next step is to stay relevant.  Finishing in the top 8 achieves that goal.  Giving young players a chance to travel and play on a big stage is great, having solid results (“relevant” results)  is a win-win.

Visit ButterflyOnline.com for the latest table tennis news and results.

Latest News

Drop Shot!

June 6, 2025
Backhand drop shot from short Backhand to short wide Backhand Fethomania Session 4 / Drill 4 https://youtube.com/shorts/OU_utl5rEUs All… Read More

Road To The World Cup: United By Excellence And Commitment Butterfly

June 4, 2025
(by: Edgardo Vázquez /Puerto Rico National Coach) We completed a high-level training camp in Spain as part of… Read More

My Debut As A National Coach At A World Championship

June 4, 2025
(by: Edgardo Vázquez /Puerto Rico National Coach ) There are moments in life that profoundly mark one’s professional… Read More

Get Your Nose Closer to the Ball!?

June 4, 2025
Backhand drop shot from short Backhand to short wide Forehand Fethomania Session 4 / Drill 3 https://youtube.com/shorts/HjilaMGKK20 All… Read More

Showing Frustration or Confidence

June 2, 2025
(By Larry Hodges) This is a simple tip. Do you think you have a better chance of winning… Read More

Use a Soft Touch to Play Short

June 2, 2025
Forehand drop shot from short Forehand to short wide Backhand Fethomania Session 4 / Drill 2 https://youtube.com/shorts/0pyoaMn0UU8 All… Read More

MLTT Team Feature: Carolina Gold Rush

June 2, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) The Carolina Gold Rush hope to strike gold a second time, having won the 2025… Read More

WAB CLUB FEATURE: BAPPA Table Tennis

June 1, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) The website for BAPPA Table Tennis opens with “Fast, Fun & Fierce”.  The club offers… Read More
View All News

Get the latest from Butterfly

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.