Daijiworld Media Network - Seoul

Seoul, May 22: In a rare setback for the Chinese table tennis powerhouse, the country’s hopes of a gold-medal sweep in the Paris Olympics were dashed after its third-seeded duo, Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Shidong, suffered a shock exit in the men’s doubles at the World Championships on Thursday.

The Chinese pair lost 1-3 (5-11, 9-11, 11-5, 8-11) to Chinese Taipei’s Kao Cheng-Jui and Lin Yun-Ju, the tournament’s sixth seeds. Lin and Lin appeared out of sync and failed to generate momentum or tactical variety in the quarterfinal clash.

Kao and Lin, who had earlier eliminated China’s Liang Jingkun and Huang Youzheng in the second round, continued their strong run with clinical precision.

This defeat marks a historic moment the first time since 1975 that no Chinese team has reached the semifinals of the men’s doubles at the World Championships, raising questions about China’s long-standing dominance in the sport.