Korean men lose 3-0 to China in team table tennis quarterfinals

The Korean men’s table tennis team ended their run at the Paris Olympics after a 3-0 loss to China in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, failing to cut the country’s 12-year medal drought in the event.  

Cho Dae-seong and Jang Woo-jin were up first in the doubles match against Ma Long and Wang Chuqin at the South Paris Arena in Paris, but it was purely one-sided, losing the first three games 11-5, 11-9 and 11-5 for a 3-0 loss.  

Team matches consist of four singles matches and one doubles match. Teams of three play in a best-of-five format. Matches also run in a best-of-five format in which the first side to score 11 points wins a game. If a game is tied 10-10, the first player to score two straight points wins.

Lim Jong-hoon took the baton next and faced Fan Zhendong in the singles match. After losing the first game 11-7, he won the second game 11-9 but failed to continue that momentum to lose the third game 11-9. He lost the fourth game 11-6, losing 3-1, and leaving the overall contest score at 2-0.  

Jang then stood up again against Wang in the singles match, but he lost the first game 11-7 and only won the second game 11-6 before losing 11-8 and 11-9 in the remaining games for a 3-1 loss that ended the entire match with a 3-0 loss for Korea.  

The loss extends Korea’s Olympic medal drought in the table tennis men’s team event, with a silver from Joo Se-hyuk, Oh Sang-eun and Ryu Seung-min remaining the country's most recent medal.   

While Thursday’s loss ends the Korean men’s run, the country still has a chance to stand on the podium as the women’s team is still alive in the tournament.  

The women’s team is set to compete in the semifinals Thursday.  

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]