China swept all the semifinal berths in the men's and women's singles events after winning a full set of mixed doubles medals at the world table tennis championships on Sunday. Yao Zhenxu, a vice chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA), didn't jump to his feet in celebration. Rather, he was worried - about table tennis's future at the Olympic Games.
"If one team keeps winning all at the world championships and Olympics, table tennis' Olympic future is in danger," said Yao, who had also been the International Table Tennis Federation's technical chief since 1995.
China, which won all table tennis golds at the Beijing Olympics, saw the top four seeds - Wang Hao, Ma Lin, Ma Long and Wang Liqin reach the men's singles semifinals.
The women's semifinal spots were snapped up by Zhang Yining, Guo Yue, Li Xiaoxia, the top three seeds, and 10th-ranked Liu Shiwen.
In the early afternoon, Li Ping and Cao Zhen combined to beat national team colleagues Zhang Jike and Mu Zi 11-6, 4-11, 11-7, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8 to clinch the mixed doubles gold.
Despite the absence of no less than eight stars - Wang Hao, Ma Lin, Ma Long, Wang Liqin, Chen Qi, Zhang Yining, Li Xiaoxia, Guo Yue, Guo Yan, Liu Shiwen, China had dominated matters.
They sent all four semifinalists with Hao Shuai and Chang Chenchen plus Zhang Chao and Yao Yan being bronze medallists.
China booked three semifinal places in the men's doubles, with Japanese Seiya Kishikawa and Jun Mizutani making the host country proud by taking one.
The Japanese duo will take on Ma Long and Xu Xin on Monday and Hao Shuai and Zhang Jike will play an all-Chinese game against Chen Qi and Wang Hao.
Chinese Guo Yue and Li Xiaoxiao dampened Japanese enthusiasm by beating Ai Fukuhara and Sayaka Hirano in the women's doubles, setting up a semifinal clash against Hong Kong pair Jiang Huajun and Tie Yana.
The other semifinal will be South Korea's Kim Kyung Ah and ParkMi Young against China's Ding Ning and Guo Yan.
"In recent world championships or Olympics, semifinals are always more exciting than finals," said Yao, "because finals are all Chinese affairs."
"I don't like watching Chinese vs. Chinese games either," he added.
丹麦亲王拒绝与女王合葬:死后不想再被压一头
腾讯开发信用评分系统 叫板阿里巴巴
曝iPhone8取消Home键
国内英语资讯:Top political advisor calls for progress in ethnic unity
国内英语资讯:19 dead, 263 injured from China 7.0-magnitude quake
国内英语资讯:Top political advisor lauds Inner Mongolia achievements on 70th anniversary
金钱或许真的能买来幸福
最近比较火的大胸妹专用毛巾...你或许有需要
优衣库放大招:在美国机场推出服装自动贩卖机
研究:每天喝3杯咖啡可延寿
NASA研发新型超音速飞机
国内英语资讯:Military rescue operations under way after deadly Sichuan quake
国内英语资讯:Chinese embassy in Rwanda sees off Chinese scholarship winners to study in China
中国人离不开的18种饮料
国内英语资讯:13 killed in China 7.0-magnitude quake
养成这些习惯 你的生活幸福和多产
属于你的缘分,终究会注定是你的
国内英语资讯:China launches emergency response to Sichuan quake
《战狼2》告诉我们,出国时这些单词别乱说!
Ancestor of all flowers revealed by scientists 科学家揭示花卉“祖先”的样貌
花朵“始祖”长啥样?像白莲花和白百合结合体
你不该觉得离婚是件丢人的事
腾讯拟分拆音乐,出版和搜索业务
国际英语资讯:Pompeo speaks over phone with Saudi FM about ties
数据显示 癌症在苏格兰比结婚更常见
老外在中国:熊猫——传播善意的外交名片
体坛英语资讯:Brazil outclass Italy 3-2 to claim 12th title in FIVB GP Finals
国内英语资讯:Xi urges all-out relief work after 7.0-magnitude quake hits SW China
国内英语资讯:Chinese prosecutors approve arrest of 9 pyramid scheme suspects
国内英语资讯:China FM urges DPRK to respond to U.S. guarantees