China start strong at table tennis Mixed Team champs
Hosts China and several other favourites got off to a winning start as the inaugural International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Mixed Team World Cup commenced in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday. According to the competition format of the innovative mixed team tournament, matches will begin with mixed doubles, followed by women's singles and men's singles, and then men's and women's doubles if required.  Individual matches last for three games, resulting in either a 3-0 or 2-1 scoreline.  Team matches continue until one side secures eight total games for the victory. In Group 1, Lin Gaoyuan and Wang Manyu gifted China three points with an 11-9, 11-2, 11-4 victory over Kristian Karlsson and Christina Kallberg of Sweden in mixed doubles. Women's world No 1 Sun Yingsha added another three points by sailing past Linda Bergstrom 11-9, 11-5, 12-10. Wang Chuqin closed out China's lopsided win in men's singles by defeating Anton Kallberg 11-6, 11-7 after two games of their duel. The other match of the group saw Puerto Rico edge Hong Kong 8-7 in a thriller. Both South Korea and Chinese Taipei notched two straight victories in Group 4. Competing in Chengdu through Sunday, 18 teams have been divided into four groups, with the winner and runner-up of each group advancing to the second stage. In the second stage, the top eight teams will be grouped into a single group. Results from the first stage will be carried over, meaning that teams that faced each other earlier in the week won't compete with each other again. (Xinhua)