China's Lin/Kuai retain mixed doubles title at WTT Europe Smash

Lin Shidong/Kuai Man (L) pose for photos during the awarding ceremony for the mixed doubles final match between Lin Shidong/Kuai Man of China and Wong Chun Ting/Doo Hoi Kem of China's Hong Kong at the WTT Europe Smash Sweden 2026 in Malmo, Sweden, Aug. 14, 2026. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)

China's Lin Shidong and Kuai Man retained the mixed doubles title at the WTT Europe Smash Sweden on Friday, while five paddlers from Team China advanced to the women's singles quarterfinals.

Earlier in the day, Lin and Kuai cruised past Chinese Taipei's Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching 3-0 in the semifinal.

Facing Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem of Hong Kong, China in the final, the Chinese pair lost the opening game 11-4, but responded by winning 11-6, 11-3, 11-6 to seal a 3-1 comeback victory.

Lin said the two pairs knew each other "very well" after having met many times before.

"Our opponents were in very good form today, and I was a bit overwhelmed in the first game," he said. "From the second game, we made some adjustments, communicated more with each other and gradually found our rhythm."

Kuai said that although there was only about an hour between her women's singles match and the mixed doubles final, returning to the table while she was still in form helped her produce a solid performance.

China's Chen Yi booked her place in the women's singles last eight with a 3-1 victory over Germany's Annett Kaufmann. Chen took the opening two games 16-14 and 12-10 before dropping the third 11-9. She quickly regained control and wrapped up the match with an emphatic 11-1 win in the fourth.

Chen told Xinhua that Kaufmann had put her under a lot of pressure with aggressive play in the first three games.

"My approach was to simplify my tactics as much as possible, stick to my own patterns and engage more in rallies where I could rely on my strengths," she said.

Wang Yidi recovered from losing the opening game to eliminate Japan's Satsuki Odo 3-1. Wang said that the competition would only get tougher and that she needed to stay focused, play point by point and fight until the end.

Elsewhere, Shi Xunyao beat Japan's Miyuu Kihara 3-1, Kuai swept Germany's Nina Mittelham 3-0, and top seed Wang Manyu defeated compatriot Qin Yuxuan in straight games.

In the men's singles, Lin battled through five games before falling 3-2 to French star Alexis Lebrun. Zhou Qihao also lost 3-2 to Japan's Sora Matsushima. Their defeat means that no Chinese player remains in the quarterfinals.

The 2026 WTT Europe Smash is held from August 8 to 16 in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, which hosts the event for the second consecutive year.

Lin Shidong, Kuai Man, Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem (R to L) pose for photos during the awarding ceremony for the mixed doubles final match between Lin Shidong/Kuai Man of China and Wong Chun Ting/Doo Hoi Kem of China's Hong Kong at the WTT Europe Smash Sweden 2026 in Malmo, Sweden, Aug. 14, 2026. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)

Lin Shidong (R)/Kuai Man compete during the mixed doubles final match between Lin Shidong/Kuai Man of China and Wong Chun Ting/Doo Hoi Kem of China's Hong Kong at the WTT Europe Smash Sweden 2026 in Malmo, Sweden, Aug. 14, 2026. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)

Wong Chun Ting/Doo Hoi Kem (R) compete during the mixed doubles final match between Lin Shidong/Kuai Man of China and Wong Chun Ting/Doo Hoi Kem of China's Hong Kong at the WTT Europe Smash Sweden 2026 in Malmo, Sweden, Aug. 14, 2026. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)