Harimoto scores twice but Japan loses to German paddlers in men's team semis at Olympics

Germany's Timo Boll hits a return during the table tennis men's team semifinal between Germany and Japan at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

TOKYO, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Local favorite Tomokazu Harimoto won both his singles games but failed to lead host Japan to get past Germany in the men's table tennis team semifinals at the Olympic Games here on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old, who became the youngest winner of the men's singles at the 2018 ITTF World Tour Finals, claimed comeback victories in both his games, beating Germany's No. 1 Dimitrij Ovtcharov 3-1 in the second game before edging over Patrick Franziska 3-2 in the fourth.

Germany saw a crucial first point earned in the doubles play as Franziska partnered with the 40-year-old former world No. 1 Timo Boll to deny a comeback from the Japanese pair Koki Niwa and Jun Mizutani, winning 11-2, 11-3, 9-11, 8-11, 11-7.

Boll, a six-time Olympian, then overcame a slow start to win over Mizutani, 7-11, 13-11, 11-7, 11-7 in the third game, before Harimoto again leveled the match on 2-2 and Ovtcharov whitewashed Niwa 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 in the fifth and last game.

The victory sent the German trio through to Friday evening's final to meet the all-time leading Chinese.

China, who has won all the golds, both in men's and women's, since the team events were introduced to the Olympic table tennis competitions, made through to the men's team final earlier on Wednesday by beating South Korea 3-0 in the other semifinal encounter.