There was plenty of drama at the South Paris Arena, but ultimately no surprises, as China thrashed Sweden 3-0 on Friday to maintain their unbeaten record in the men's table tennis team final.
The seventh-seeded players could do nothing against a formidable Chinese army led by the legendary Ma Long, who won his sixth Olympic gold medal overall and four in the team event.
Since the event was introduced at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, China has won a total of eight gold medals in the men's and women's competitions and now nine, a number expected to reach double figures when the Chinese women face Japan in Saturday's team final.
Though Ma is considered the greatest player of all time by the International Table Tennis Federation, he didn't need to perform well in Paris beyond the opening doubles matches, with none of his top-seeded opponents lasting more than at least three games.
India, South Korea and France have all tried and failed, as has Sweden.
Ma Long (right) and Wang Chuqin erupt in celebration after defeating Sweden's Anton Kalberg and Christian Karlsson in their opening doubles match. Photo: Xinhua
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