OLYMPICS/ TABLE TENNIS--Sweden fight back to beat Japan and secure medal

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Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan reacts next to his teammates, Shunsuke Togami, Hiroto Shinozuka, and their coach after their Men's Team Semifinal semifinal table tennis match against Sweden, South Paris Arena 4, Paris, France, August 07, 2024. (REUTERS)

PARIS--Sweden fought back from a two-match deficit to beat fourth-seeded Japan in a men’s team table tennis semi-final at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, securing a medal.

Japan opened with a 3-1 doubles win, before Tomokazu Harimoto added a valuable point by defeating singles silver medalist Truls Moregard.

Sweden, though, did not give up. In two 3-1 games, Kristian Karlsson defeated Shunsuke Togami and Moregard overcame Hiroto Shinozuka, putting the onus on teammate Anton Kallberg, who faced the higher-ranked Harimoto in the fifth match.

Harimoto won the first two games with scores of 11-5 to put Japan just one game away from the final but then Kallberg made an unexpected and strong comeback. Playing aggressively, he took the next two games to level with Harimoto.

In the deciding game, Kallberg capitalized on some unforced errors by Harimoto during intense backhand rallies. At 9-9, Kallberg prevailed, taking the fifth game 11-9, as the 21-year-old Harimoto sank to his knees.

“We all gave it absolutely everything and I don’t know if we just ran out of gas. But without doubt we tried our best and, result aside, I think we played the same way we’ve been doing for several years now,” said Harimoto.

Earlier in the day, French teenager Felix Lebrun overcame Brazilian Hugo Calderano for the second time in four days to clinch a crucial point that helped France to beat Brazil and advance to the other semi-final, where they will face China.

Just as in their bronze-medal match in the singles competition, Lebrun, 17, used short serves en route to securing the first two games 11-6 and 11-7.

Calderano, the first player from Latin America to reach the semi-finals in singles, fought back in the third game, making the most of his advantage in the long rallies but lost the fourth to give Lebrun a 3-1 win.

Lebrun’s older brother Alexis then overcame Brazilian Vitor Ishiy by the same score.

France are hoping that home support will help them against the sport’s top team in Thursday’s semi-final.

“Every time we play China, it’s normally in their country or in Asia, so every time there are many fans for them, but this time will be a little bit different,” said Felix Lebrun.

“I think it’s a great boost and also not easy for them every time they lose a point to hear a big sound in the audience. Maybe it can be a bit different,” he added.

Both China’s men’s and women’s cruised into the semi-finals with 3-0 victories on Wednesday.

The women’s team easily defeated Taiwan, while the men’s team knocked out fifth-seeded South Korea earlier in the day.

Despite some resistance in the second and third singles matches, China’s world number one Wang Chuqin defeated Korea’s Jang Woojin 3-1, while China’s world number two Fan Zhendong beat Lim Jonghoon by the same score.

Germany’s women’s team will continue their Olympic journey after their decorated men’s team, led by Timo Boll, were knocked out by Sweden on Tuesday.

Annett Kaufmann, 18, secured two valuable points for Germany in a 3-1 win over India, helping them to clinch a spot in the semi-finals where they will face Japan.

Kaufmann, a first-time Olympian, triumphed over higher-ranked Indian players Manika Batra and Akula Sreeja, as she continued her transformation from a reserve to Germany’s top singles pick, after two players on the team got injured.

“It wasn’t really easy for us to be mentally good again, and to fight even though we don’t have the two best players on our team. But that makes me even more proud of us that we could manage to win,” said Kaufmann.

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