Japan’s elite men’s table tennis team suffered a series of defeats at the tournament in Montpellier, where all four of its representatives were eliminated during the opening two rounds, according to reports published by Vietnam.vn.
Matsushima Falls to Sidorenko in Opening Rounds
The most striking result came from 19-year-old Sora Matsushima, who entered the tournament holding the world number one ranking in men’s singles. In the round of 16, Matsushima was defeated 1-3 by Russia’s Vladimir Sidorenko, the world number 19, with set scores of 10-12, 11-9, 8-11, and 6-11. The outcome marked a sharp reversal from their previous meeting in July, when Matsushima secured a 4-2 victory over Sidorenko in the final of the US Smash to claim the championship.
Sora Matsushima opens WTT Champions Montpellier the hard way: up 2-0 on Dang Qiu, pegged back after a 10-12 fourth game, then closes it 11-2 in the decider 🔥 That's a world No. 1 answer.#WTTMontpellier #TableTennis #PingPong #WTT #卓球 #TTCAN
Four Japanese Stars Eliminated Early in Montpellier
Matsushima’s exit was mirrored by his compatriots as the Japanese squad dissolved across the early draws without producing a single quarterfinalist. Tomokazu Harimoto, ranked world number three, lost 0-3 to France’s Simon Gauzy, the world number 30. Shunsuke Togami fell 1-3 to Sweden’s Truls Moregard, while Hiroto Shinozuka was defeated 3-0 by Brazil’s Hugo Calderano.
Recent Historic Rises Against China Contrast With Sudden Exits
The sudden defeats in Montpellier followed a historic stretch of international success for Japanese table tennis, which had consistently challenged China’s historical dominance in the sport. In September at the 2026 Asian Games, the Japanese men’s team defeated China 3-2 in the team final to capture its first gold medal in the discipline in 60 years, featuring victories by Harimoto over Wang Chuqin and Matsushima over Wen Ruibo. One month later, Japan collected three additional gold medals at the 2026 Asian Table Tennis Championships by defeating China in the women’s team event, the men’s singles via Harimoto, and the mixed doubles pairing of Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto.
That momentum culminated on October 5, when Matsushima officially surpassed Wang Chuqin to claim the world number one ranking, ending a 46-year wait for Japanese men’s table tennis. That milestone initially stemmed from the expiration of Wang’s older ranking points before Matsushima solidified his standing with a victory at the China Smash. The subsequent setbacks in France demonstrated that the upper tier of international competition remains volatile, even for the sport’s newly established leaders.
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