(by Steve Hopkins, photo USATT)
TeamUSA needed some help on the final day of group action at the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu, and that help arrived when India defeated Australia. China swept the group, losing only one game in three matches (that one lost point was USA’s Sid Naresh who won the first game against Lin Shidong).
The fight in the group was for second place, where each of the remaining three teams (USA, India, Australia) 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). But in the final match between India and Australia, India prevailed 8-6. With a unique scoring system where there are five matches and each pairing plays three games only. The first team to score 8 points wins – whether that threshold is reached in the third match (or the fourth, or the fifth). For TeamUSA, it was the margin of victory over India that was the difference – with USA advancing and sending India and Australia home.
TeamUSA is now set to face Japan, Romania, and Korea in Stage 2. The other group is China, Hong Kong, France, and Germany. The field continues to narrow to the Final Four teams. Those Semifinal and Final matchups will occur this weekend.
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