China beat S. Korea to defend team title at Asian Table Tennis Champs

Ma Long of China competes during the men's team final against Jang Woojin of South Korea at the 23rd ITTF Asian Table Tennis championships in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, April 12, 2017. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

WUXI, East China, April 12 -- Table tennis powerhouses China duly retained the men's team title here on Wednesday, beating the South Korean squad coached by Kim Taek Soo 3-0 in the final.

It becomes the 21st men's team trophy lifted by China in a total of 23 editions of the continental tournament, and the tenth in a row.

Without Grand Slam winner Zhang Jike in the lineup for team final, the Chinese side kept overwhelming odds on paper with world No. 1-3 Ma Long, Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin to start against Jang Woo Jin, Lee Sang Su and Jeong Sang Eun.

South Korea's only Top 10 player of the world rankings Jeoung Youngsik was not sent up for the men's team final.

Newly crowned Olympic champion Ma Long ended up as the only player from the hosts failing to wrap up his game in three straight sets. The Chinese captain had to strain to win the first set 14-12 over Jang, and gave up his second set 11-4 before coming back 12-10 and 11-3 in the following sets.

Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin both made short work of their respective games, with the former beating Lee 11-8, 11-4, 12-10 and Xu, the only pen-hold paddler in world's top 10 rankings, trouncing Jeong 11-9, 11-6, 12-10.

Although Zhang Jike is still struggling with an ankle injury, China, the top seeds in men's team event, fought their way to the podium without losing a single game.