PARIS — In a formidable display of skill and team coordination, China defeated South Korea 3-0 in the men's table tennis team quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday. The match, held at South Paris Arena 4, saw the South Korean trio of Cho Dae-seong, Jang Woo-jin, and Lim Jong-hoon unable to overcome the top-ranked Chinese team.
According to Yonhap News Agency, The Chinese squad, featuring some of the world's best players including Wang Chuqin, Fan Zhendong, and Ma Long, continued their dominance in the Olympic arena. China, the gold medal favorite, has won every men's team gold since the event's introduction in 2008. The South Korean team faced a tough challenge from the start, with Cho and Jang losing the opening doubles match to Ma Long and Wang Chuqin in straight games (11-5, 11-9, 11-5).
In the singles matchups, Fan Zhendong extended China's lead by defeating Lim Jong-hoon 3-1 (11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6). Despite Lim's efforts to level the match, Fan maintained control to secure the win. The decisive match saw Wang Chuqin clinching victory against Jang Woo-jin by a similar margin of 3-1 (11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9), thereby eliminating South Korea from medal contention.
This defeat marks a missed opportunity for South Korea, which had last secured a silver medal in this event at the 2012 Olympics.