World Team Table Tennis Championships 2026 LIVE: Watch semi-final action

Can anyone end China's dominance?

China's women have won the last seven Women's Team titles and are undefeated since the final in 2010 when they lost to SIngapore.

The team is led by world numbers one and two Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, who have won back-to-back team titles at the World Championships and Olympic Games and are both yet to drop a game in London.

It would take a huge upset from Romania, who have not won the title since 1956, to take out the Chinese in the semi-finals.

But awaiting in the final could be Japan, who have revenge on their minds after finishing as runners-up to China in the past five World Championships.

The Japanese are also undefeated going into their semi-final with Germany.

China's men have been even more dominant, winning the past eleven titles at the World Team Table Tennis Championships and not suffering defeat since 2000 when they lost in the final to Sweden.

World number one Wang Chuqin led them to a 3-0 victory over South Korea in Friday's quarter-final to set up a tough semi-final against France.

Alex and Felix Lebrun, who won bronze medals in the team event at the last Olympics, were in impressive form for the French as they overcame Brazil to confirm a repeat of the final from the last World Championships.

In the other semi-final, Japan will take on Chinese Taipei who recorded a big upset against top seeds Sweden, winning 3-2 in their quarter-final.

Centenary celebration for table tennis in London

This month's World Team Table Tennis Championships take place in London - the same city where it all began 100 years ago.

The first World Team Table Tennis Championships were held in December 1926 with most of the matches played at the Memorial Hall in Farringdon Street.

Hungary won the first Men's Team tournament and were presented with the Swaythling Cup, a trophy donated to the Table Tennis Association of England by Lord Swaythling in honour of his wife.

The Swaythling Cup remains the trophy presented to the winners of the Men's Team tournament today.

There was no Women's Team tournament at the inaugural championships, though there was a Women's Singles tournament won by Hungarian player Mária Mednyánszky.

The first Women's Team tournament took place in 1934 in Paris with a trophy donated by French Table Tennis Association President Marcel Corbillon.

The Corbillon Cup is still presented to the winners of the Women's Team tournament.

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