by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

However, there were some moments of consternation for the champions elect.

In the title deciding contest they did not make the best of starts. Qian Tianyi was beaten by Miyuu Kihara (11-7, 6-11, 11-5, 11-4); however, that was to prove the only reverse. Shi Xunyao overcame Miyu Nagasaki (12-10, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6), before Liu Weishan gave China the lead by accounting for Kana Takeuchi (11-7, 11-6, 11-4).

China in the ascendancy; Qian Tianyi returned to the table; she beat Miyu Nagasaki (11-7, 11-7, 11-7) to end matters.

Eventually it was a comprehensive win for China, a situation that had applied to both teams in the second phase of proceedings.

At the quarter-final stage Liu Weishan, Qian Tianyi and Shi Xunyao had beaten the outfit formed by Sweden’s Jennie Edvinsson and Rebecca Muskantor who joined forces with Singapore’s Eunice Lim, by three matches to nil, prior to recording the same margin of victory against the Chinese Taipei ‘B’ formation of Liang Jing-Ling, Wen Rue-Ling and Yu Hsiu-Ting.

Meanwhile, for Miyuu Kihara, Miyu Nagasaki and Kana Takeuchi, three-one victory margins had been the order of the day.

At the quarter-final stage it was success against Thailand’s Jinnipa Sawettabut, Natkamon Kamkorn and Naja Mekamporn, followed by a semi-final win in opposition to the Chinese Taipei ‘A’ Team combination of Chen Ying-Chen, Su Pei-Ling and Chen Ting-Ting.

The players to cause the problems were Jinnipa Sawettabut and Chen Ting-Ting. In the opening match of the fixture again Thailand, Jinnipa Sawettabut beat Miyuu Kihara (12-10, 11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 11-5); in the third contest of the engagement with Chinese Taipei, Chen Ting-Tuing defeated Kana Takeuchi (11-7, 11-8, 11-4).