GUANGZHOU, March 1: China will take on arch rivals South Korea for the World Team Table Tennis Championship title after the Asian powers won their semi-final showdowns here Saturday.

China, undefeated champions since 2000, easily downed Hong Kong in their semi but South Korea faced a ferocious challenge from underdogs Japan, whose young charges refused to lie down.

The final on Sunday will be a repeat of the last world championships two years ago, with South Korea relishing the chance to seek revenge against China.

Olympic champion Ryu Seung-Min said South Korea fancied their chances against China, as their star-studded team was under pressure to perform.

“We have our reasons for thinking we can beat China. South Korea are strong enough for one and the Chinese players are nervous and pressed psychologically to do well here,” the world number eight said.

Ryu easily accounted for Japan’s Kaii Yoshida in straight sets on Saturday.

But South Korea’s Lee Jung-Woo fought a five-set thriller with Japan’s teenage star Jun Mizutani. They wowed the crowd with their cross-court rallies before Lee edged out the 18-year-old.Kan Yo pulled one back for Japan, also in a nail-biting five sets, before Ryu returned to the tables to fight off Mizutani and clinch the match.

Ryu paid tribute to Japan, whose paddlers have impressed at this tournament, finishing top of their group.

China’s supremacy was never in doubt against Hong Kong, the world’s top three players quickly demolishing the southern Chinese territory in front of an adoring home crowd.

Hong Kong’s top-ranked paddler Li Ching tried valiantly at 2-0 down to halt World Cup champion Ma Lin’s charge in the opening tie.

Li, ranked 11 in the world, threw everything at Ma, but the world number two held his nerve and eventually clinched the third set 19-17.

World champion Wang Liqin then downed Hong Kong’s rising star Tang Peng, before world number one Wang Hao swiftly wrapped up proceedings.

Despite the victory, Wang Liqin, the oldest member of his team at 29, said he was feeling the pressure at these worlds where he must perform as he campaigns to win over Chinese team officials for Olympic qualification.

“I’m concerned I won’t play well enough and the coaches maybe won’t choose me to play at the Beijing Olympics, so I have to concentrate hard on all of my games,” the softly spoken Wang said after his straight-sets win.

China’s equally formidable women, undefeated at these championships since 1993, take on Singapore in their final later Saturday.

China, the giants of the sport, are using these worlds as the perfect warm-up for the Beijing Games, where they are aiming for total dominance.—AFP