China brought back world number one Wang Chuqin to boost the team just a day after losing to South Korea. Wang delivered two individual victories, but it was not enough to save the defending champions.
Wang easily swept Anton Kallberg 3-0 in the first match with scores of 11-8, 11-5, and 11-6 to give China an early lead.
However, the momentum shifted in the second set, as the lesser-known Elias Ranefur stunned Lin Shidong by taking a 2-0 lead.
Lin fought back to tie the match and held a 9-7 lead in the deciding set, but Ranefur scored four straight points to secure an 11-9 victory.
Sweden celebrate their victory over China in the group stage of the World Team Table Tennis Championships at Wembley Stadium, London, England, on May 3, 2026. Photo by ITTF |
This was Ranefur’s first time playing in a major national team tournament, but he already drew immediate attention with his versatile style, surprising serves and strong backhand shots.
The turning point occurred in the third match, when world number two Truls Moregardh saved a match point to defeat Liang Jingkun 3-2, winning the final match 12-10.
Trailing 1-2, China relied on Wang to keep them in the game. He delivered a 3-0 victory over Ranefur to force a deciding fifth match.
In the final set, Lin suffered another loss, falling 1-3 to Kallberg. The Swedish player won two tight sets, 12-10 and 11-8, to seal the historic 3-2 victory.
Sweden finished the first stage undefeated to top Group 1, while China dropped to the lower bracket of the knockout stage. This marks Sweden’s first victory over China at the World Team Championships since their 3-2 win in the 2000 final.
China had not lost a single match at the tournament since that 2000 final. After two decades of absolute dominance, they lost twice in two days in London, finishing only above the host nation, England, in their group.
Wang has won all three of his matches at the tournament. Fans have pointed out that China’s issue was in squad depth. Wang can only play a maximum of two matches, while a team needs three to win.
Lin, widely viewed as the next star of China’s table tennis golden generation, faced heavy criticism after losing to South Korea’s Oh Jun-sung and two Swedish players in less than 24 hours.
Liang also struggled, dropping crucial matches.
Some fans have even suggested recalling veterans like Ma Long or holding large training camps ahead of the 2028 Olympics. Others argue that young Chinese players need to compete in European leagues to gain international experience.
Despite the losses, China were not eliminated. Under the new 2026 format, the top eight teams and England automatically qualify from the first stage into the 32-team knockout round. The group stage primarily determines seedings.
China will face Australia in the round of 16, while Sweden play Hungary. If they advance, China will likely face South Korea again in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the China women’s team maintained their dominance. They won all three matches in Group 1 without dropping a single game, advancing to the knockouts as the number one title contenders.
The highlights of the final match between Lin Shidong and Anton Kallberg, sealing China’s defeat to Sweden at the group stage of the World Team Championships in London, England, on May 3, 2026.
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