China eases past Japan to win women's team title in Asian Championships

Team Japan pose during the medal presenting ceremony after the 23rd ITTF Asian Table Tennis championships in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, April 11, 2017. Team China won 3-0 and claimed the title. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

WUXI, East China, April 11 (Xinhua) -- All-time leading Chinese women's table tennis team claimed the first title on offer at the Asian Championships, making short work of the Japanese teenage trio in the final here on Tuesday.

It has been the 17th time that China lifted the trophy of women's team at the continental tournmaent.

Four-time World Cup winner Liu Shiwen, who turns 26 years old Wednesday, opened the match in style, taking the first set 11-3 but was stopped by Miu Hirano in the second set before coming back and winning it in four sets.

World No. 1 and Grand Slam winner Ding Ning followed up to beat Mima Ito 13-11, 11-7, 11-3 without breaking a drop of sweat, and the 2nd-ranked Zhu Yuling won 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8 over Hina Hayata to secure a top-podium finish.

All three Japanese are just 17 years old, who brought the greatest surprise on Tuesday by trouncing South Korea led by 39-year-old veteran chopper Kim Kyung Ah 3-0 in the morning's team semis.