Taiwanese Olympians Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching had to settle for a silver medal after their defeat in the mixed doubles final at the WTT Star Contender Muscat.

Despite their high ranking and recent success, the world No. 9 duo was unable to overcome Japan's Satoshi Aida and Hitomi Sato, falling 9-11, 5-11, 6-11 in a three-game sweep.

Taiwan's Mixed Doubles Stars Fight for Another Title

World Table Tennis 2025: Taiwan's Lin, Ching Fall to Japan's World Table Tennis 2025: Taiwan's Lin, Ching Fall to Japan's
World Table Tennis

According to Taipei Times, Lin and Cheng came to the Muscat competition on the back of high momentum since they won the championship at the WTT Star Contender London on Oct. 26. The Taiwanese duo is hoping to win their second mixed doubles title of the season, but it's Japan that dictates the whole tempo throughout the game.

Seeded third in a competitive 16-pair field, Taiwan had been widely expected to contend for gold. The matchup against Japan's defensive specialists presented a far greater challenge than had been anticipated in this competition. They never saw that coming.

Japanese Underdogs Stun the Field with Defensive Mastery

Ranked outside of the world's top 100, Aida and Sato were clear underdogs coming into the tournament. Rarely pairing together in international events, the Japanese pair managed to surprise fans and analysts alike by advancing from the qualifiers onto the championship round.

The Japanese pair, known for their elite chopping technique, disrupted the usual rhythm of Lin and Cheng. Their consistent defense forced repeated errors from the Taiwanese side, while timely counterattacks managed to keep Lin and Cheng at bay.

The final game mirrored the previous struggles. Lin delivered four consecutive explosive returns to narrow the deficit from 1-7 to 5-7, giving Taiwanese fans hope. Yet a rare attacking miscue from Cheng at the net opened the door for Japan's final push, sealing the match and the championship.

The opening game showed just how tough the match was likely to be. Lin and Cheng twice trailed, at 0-3 and then at 6-7, rallying back each time before losing momentum on a fortunate edge ball from their opponents. Aida and Sato then took advantage, taking the first game for psychological momentum.

In the second game, Lin and Cheng seemed to retake the reins as they moved ahead 4-1, but a string of unforced errors derailed their pace. Aida's sharp backhand counters fueled a stunning 10-1 run that put the Taiwanese team in a tough two-game hole.