ASIAN GAMES/Taiwanese men settle for table tennis team bronze at Asian Games

Hangzhou, Sept. 25 (CNA) Taiwan paddlers Chuang Chih-yuan (莊智淵), Lin Yun-ju (林昀儒) and Liao Cheng-ting (廖振珽) won a bronze medal in the men's team table tennis event at the Hangzhou Asian Games after losing in the event's semifinals to China.

It was the third consecutive Asian Games in which Taiwan had won a bronze medal in the men's team table tennis event.

In the best-of-five match showdown, Taiwan's three players were swept by their Chinese opponents in three straight matches, which sent China to the finals against South Korea.

The opening match pitted the two teams' defacto captains, Chuang and China's Fan Zhendong (樊振東) against each other. While the 42-year-old Taiwanese veteran put up some resistance, Fan prevailed 11-6, 11-7, 11-7.

Lin, who finished fourth in the men's table tennis singles at the Tokyo Olympics, then played Chinese Wang Chuqin (王楚欽) and lost 11-5, 11-5, 11-6.

China's seasoned Olympian Ma Long (馬龍) closed out the semifinal contest by topping Liao 11-4, 11-5, 11-5.