FULL MATCH | Tomokazu Harimoto vs Liang Jingkun | Asian Team Championships 2025 Semifinals Extended

Inspired Iranian unit, which was in fact led from the front by Benyamin Farazi They were tested Numerous questions were asked but here they are Everyone knows what China is about everyone possibly fears and admires them at the same time But on the other side, you've got Japan The Japanese unit there they are on your screen The Makazu Harimoto is of course the show stealer but don't forget don't forget that they've also got Sora Matsushima who's ranked 16th in the world and Of course the others to have shown their caliber in this high voltage encounter We expect thrills. We expect the best table tennis that one would get to see Fireworks all round Diwali is coming soon, but such in I think the celebration of table tennis has ensured that Diwali has come early This entire match Maybe from the fixtures point of view it is called as a semi-final, but this is a clash of titans This is no less than a final You would see the best of the best here They are the top 10 players in the world the best of the best silver medalist gold medalist Everyone you're gonna be seeing them here on to the stage Mr. Vipin Mehra the highest rank empire from India Taking on the lead position from his Hawkeye What an excitement I am just having a goosebump at this moment the warm-up rallies have become I Can tell you Nishat if if they are allowed to just play warm-up volleys only they will not miss the ball Yes, they have perfected this art. So well over a period of years and Look at that role the sign of Harimoto signature Before seeing him in person here in Bhubaneswar I had seen him on YouTube and television obviously and particularly was fascinated by his practice regime Just the way that he continues to grow Continues to give it his all and now here's here's what it is like, you know He is 22 years old has already achieved a lot yet People think that he may not have achieved as much as people thought that they would be they've just set such high expectations But he's already an Olympic bronze medalist back in 2020. He has won medals in other events as well. Give him time He's only 22 years old and he would quite possibly achieve a lot more than what people expect He's still got a lot of time in front of him On the other hand, you've got Liang Jingkun another fantastic player who hasn't tasted glory in the Olympics But has been very consistent in the World Championships World Cup Asian Games and the Asian Championships So, you know, this is definitely a clash of the Titans But that's in here are a few statistics for you, and then I will bring you into this discussion These two have played each other nine times Tomokazu Harimoto has prevailed on only two occasions the last time he Was back in 2024 during the WTP finals in Fukuoka It was 3-1 to him So there's still some work to do for Harimoto if he's got to get his team off to a good start here Yes, absolutely. And and and looking at these stats There's gonna be certainly much more pressure on Harimoto and looking at the looking at the team championship and semi-final there It's gonna be further more pressure and in the last game what we saw Liang Jingkun won a pressure match against Iran After He was commendable and certainly it's a great start good amount of confidence has shown by Wang Hao and Liang Jingkun First serve Let's serve Maybe just a sign for all of us to take a breath One more leg game a leg take another breath Sachin the signature signature role Kazi Harimoto Building up to the confidence for Japan there As always, I just spotted senior Harimoto sitting there in the VIP stand. He's ever-present Watches them from close quarters What do you make of the change that China have made today because if you look at it Then they have shuffled their lineup around one teacher was slated to play the third one against Iran They placed their Looking at the past course there Certainly Liang Jingkun is this time to play with Tomokazu Harimoto now, of course There's a change in the lineup there because if something goes wrong Lot more of a bet will be on one to achieve their semi final there Last year the band had crashed out in the quarterfinals of the Asian Team Championship Here's the lineup from the quarterfinal and Japan had actually crashed out in the quarterfinal against Republic of Korea China went on to win it ultimately in the final by beating Chinese Taipei Let's see if Japan also try to create that change here as well He knows that Liang Jingkun was absolutely ready on the back end Disappointment here by Harimoto Missing on to the clock here. I Can feel the heat box here. I don't know how much heat would be there in the ground We can turn the air conditioning on such and just reminding you Long rally there long We had not a politically audience have not taken 12 shots and they were lightning-quick lightning-quick. That's what you get when you've got players of this caliber King of spin the pains of mindset winning that point back to back now It's on these occasions that I really wish that I understood all languages in the world So that I would at least know what they're telling each other Corner when he's in that corner when he's still and he's dictating terms. He knows what he's doing The Celebration there Yes, it's game point The engine going to serve That's the way that he pushed that one out. Yes. I what impressed me is that the reading Both the players have of each other the way how do you know to read the service? So Amazing, but yes, young Jinkan was ready with that heading heavy duty down the line in while he's still serving Okay early oh my word This is the earliest timeout. I Have not seen a timeout In the first game ever right through the station table tennis team championship Yes, I guess it is required to put lot more pressure because they are experienced players, even though they have just plays played with each other for nine time, but and young Jinkan had won seven times, but They're all most experienced player and and right now in this Semi-final a lot depends upon Harimoto's victory Why would you take a timeout right now? Because this could well possibly go into even a longer contest and you would want to save that What if it goes into the fourth or fifth game? It's a good China lot more under pressure if Harimot if Tomokazi gets this game Certainly, it would be a pressure situation for him and and a lot more confidence for Harimoto down there It is Harimoto's curve He would definitely want to capitalize on to the momentum That he has at least from the lead point of view Can he take this point? And he's serving so that makes that timeout all the more Intriguing shall I use that word Has just begun right now a lot more show is there to be put up for Indians audience here and across the world This time quite a power backhand into the body This is only the trailer the movie is yet to come this is the trailer Changing the position brought in by Harimoto here First game the strategy It changed the position quite a Lesson for the audience here all the upcoming players who are watching this all this while He has been serving on the backhand side of it brought in a last-minute change on to the poor end Look at this 12th and first game How looking a little bit more stern now? Generally, he's not very animated But he mortal has gotten Yes, absolutely You would require your all the leftover gray cells. You have so much of experience under the belt of senior coaches, but I would always look at the Super stats here for all the All the shots and winners at Harimoto has played a lot more backhand on to the deep backhand He has paid very few in the center But still the strategy work, you know that we are being fun has Good for it as well. So you want to put a lot more pressure there and certainly as the pressure is Is there among the audience as well, even though they are watching finest of the finest best of the best Goosebumps are there you spoke about bang how and how decorated he is. So just to tell all our viewers Individually 2004 8 and 2012. This is about the Olympics Multiple gold medals at the World Championships the World Cup Asian Championship That list of medals doesn't end But you can't go out there and play you can only advise as a coach Looks like that Harimoto was talking The coach that really sorry all was much lower as I anticipated No less than about between the heavyweight into boxing How much table tennis also has evolved, you know Look at the physiques of the players when you look at Harimoto, you can see that it's a proper athlete But they are also full of muscle And that flexibility so different styles, but the fitness of all the teams, especially these two right on top With that Variation that he's bringing from the forehead again getting back onto the corner. No this time again He's going to repeat put a lot more pressure on him Again it work Tomokazu Harimoto with that roll Closing the closing the lead Harimoto facing now as Liang is going to serve Really have to watch these two play doesn't matter Where you're from and learn so much Look at the pace. Look at that. Look at that rally. We've lost count have we Office That is the place he's building up some surprise for him at this time a Lobby game. Oh With that beautiful log He's not able to get it across the net it lands on his side of the table Then everyone looks at those knobs. They think it's easy. Trust me. It's not it's never easy All took his own side there. How do you go to land now moves into the lead? It's a slender lead by one point at six five the end seems to have very good temperament They seem to celebrate harder than Liang who's actually out there Right now in a monk state there Monk warrior, I would say Taken him or rather was 10 shots long Credit to all us if our statisticians down there because it's not easy to count the number of shots when the rallies are so fast Was in the air Just like a hungry tiger Very high-end cameras, they're catching on who's such a high and speedy rallies there I'm out by a young infant. What is happening guys? Look at this so much of pressure here It's a timeout by China now generally very calm there and how I wonder why they've gone for this time out in this second game But we also remember that in the first game, it was Japan who went for the timeout So this is possibly the earliest time that we've had two timeouts both the timeouts done and if this goes into the fifth game Then who knows? Just the game I'm just Wondering from here where they get this kind of energy The intensity of the scope the motion everything is so high trying how No, why he's got two water bottles in his hand as he's trying to explain that to Liang It's interesting to see is that all the members of No matter whether they are playing or not all are except the coach all are sitting in and in shots there On the border and why not defend their title they are the leaders dictators there It's all now Tomotazu, Harimoto 88% backhand shot wins from Liang. That's quite a phenomenal percentage Now he's gonna get to serve as he endeavors to equalize Definitely the lash of the Titans of Asia backhand shot wins Harimoto at 60% Doing the pace and then making it quick Working to count that rally to Harimoto So much of look at the happiness on the audience face. They are watching best of the best Now it came point for Harimoto. Can we convert this? Wow short audience Dignity is everyone would be thinking What a beautiful match they are watching here I'll be taken by surprise What 16 shots in total and each of those 16 shots was signature for each of those players But right now it is Liang who has got the game point and he is going to serve backhand shots win Harimoto only 60% right now and Liang Jingkun almost 80% there the second game here certainly equalizing the score here At 1311 it was a hard-fought game one a piece and both the teams have used their timeouts for this match Wang Hao now conferring with Liang a few more tips. Meanwhile, Harimoto just trying to cool down a little bit He's only got two people in his corner there not the entire squad or the coaching staff what is Lovely to see in this stadium is right now China Combating with Japan but audience is just supporting table tennis. They're seeing some really really high quality rallies here And of course, they're just appreciating what they are watching Just having a look at the winners that Liang Jingkun fished out in game number two all as you can see on the left side of the table here It's absolutely and you can see it's right now on the middle of the table because he knows that what what accuracy he has Placing lot more balls in the second line of the table Putting pressure they are putting thrust Getting the first point Found a gap in the center The first point going Harimoto's way in this third game now remember no timeouts generally We see those timeouts it from the third game onwards generally as a rule of thumb Such we are just seeing only Backhand game here backhand dominated game and you can see that that's why in modern table tennis. You have to have a backhand Which is almost like a foreign because players put a lot more pressure on to the back end Yes, India may not have lived up to the hopes of their fans But yes, people have turned up to watch this high voltage encounter is the class of the time Yeah So you look away For a moment and you've missed two three shots already. Absolutely. The game is so lightning fast here Do a piece in the third game Dominated he knows that the ball up is in the air. We have a chance Absolutely, not leaving any stone unturned there You could see the gap there, but looking at positions of both the players It's very difficult that you can score in first three to four balls or first three to four rally there people A lot of power On a couple of occasions only he has reduced the base and gone for those slices. So what would you make of that? How do you order does that change bring that change to Trying to break the rhythm of young Jinkun And couple of times he has been successful specifically if you see whenever he does the service from before and he reduces the speed He was dominating this rallies and last count rally was 15 15 shots in that rally and it was so quick so quick I didn't know where to look whether at my monitor or just out of my window and down there for live action Let me do that for a minute Yes, and they see again 14 shots in that rally. It's such a rivalry in open there Harimoto with that tight slap on the onto the table Bit of a Look at his team members even if I wanted All was so close to the net He's missing out on to the point Certainly some bit of homework that he would take away from from this match Then we look at this match It's just simply phenomenal the level of table tennis Stadium in Bhubaneswar The Odisha government creating this wonderful facility Not just this indoor stadium, but around it as well There's an athletic track the hockey stadium the badminton courts the swimming pool stadium as well 5% Harimoto is on 83% that's another super statistic for you. Suddenly a lot has been covered by Harimoto here With that shot and tossed in 7-8. Both the players have taken the time out and Harimoto has got the magic position again Yes, he got it. Though it was a let Certainly he was lucky though But that's the position which is working for him And he said sorry it was loud and audible for everyone Eight apiece in the third game. It's one apiece. Otherwise Once again the net favoring Harimoto, I guess the luck seems to be Harimoto's favor It's 9-8 and a backhand shot wins Equalizing almost equal score Harimoto marginally up by 3% Natural brilliance here's an example for you because the sky has told us that it is a rally which was 16 shots long It is the longest rally in this match all these statistics that you see it is via artificial intelligence wonderful Now serving for the game Let's head for another deuce just like the second game It's a deuce. Pin drop silence in stadium one all ten all Piyang Vinkun points here But he doesn't want to lose on to that lucky points earlier he got here At 11 all it's going to be learned to serve Yes Like me Late Roto by Harimoto. He took us to the deep breath Liang Jingkun till with the mock warrior face This is the third time though that he's taken the advantage in the deuce Because every time Go a yellow card Okay What was that for? I guess That's the reason okay now Harimoto goes to one up in this first match Do not take your eye off this gripping encounter between Japan and China in the semifinal Don't go go don't go any anywhere lot more action is coming up till the action is not over in this first match but it's China versus Japan clash of Titans clash of egos Lot has happened in those three games both the timeouts done the first time out taken by Harimoto in the first game One that he went on to win Later Liang Jingkun managed to win after the deuce in the second game It was also during that game that Wang Gao and he decided to take a timeout Wang Hao now just briefing Liang as he is now trailing to one You have to all that has also been given a yellow card for taking a little bit more time It came during the dying stages of that third game Okay, the time is up get ready absolutely On the ground so you have to have a best-of-the-best empire you are going to be highly are going to be watching every move This time Liang Jingkun Displaced him onto the forehand It's one all a bit of a change in strategy brought in by Liang Jingkun as well Yes a change in strategy Again wanted to displace him onto the forehand Was not in position to play that stroke Gave away the point 2-1 Harimoto Variations of Harimoto is absolutely really Watched out for very very closely He is sometimes Socking the ball Sometimes huddling it Shoots back He wins this game He gets Japan off to a victorious start 2-4-2 I am guessing the players will be sweating a lot more There is a place in the final at stake This is an intense encounter In any match Where there is pressure Obviously physiologically It takes more out of you Went on to the body Was not in position not in control of the ball I think this is the only ball Which he has not been in control of 2 points Back to 4 all Now it is all level here Chole Doi Leading by 1 point 5-4 What does Chole mean exactly I am sure it is not what it means here in India What it means in India Chole Doi Again moves up to 6-4 Absolutely More and more formidable In Chinese as I have been told Chole means once more In India it is famous as Chickpeas We like a good recipe of Chole Here in India But that is quite a strawberry By Harimoto If I was to see the number of variations That Harimoto has brought in High level of frequency It is not a joke at all It is 6 all Sometimes you can just say that table tennis Not only in fact every time It not only tests you physically But also it tests your intelligence Both the players have taken the time out To put lot more pressure on each other Now they can't go back It is 6-7 That's a 4 point Consecutive run For Liang He was down 6-4 Now he is up 8-6 Look at that backhand Again that backhand Whenever it has happened It always go in the favour of Harimoto It is just like a video game Sometimes it almost looks as if Harimoto is a machine on his own 9% that's the percentage Of backhand short wins for Harimoto What do I learn What do I watch from this match Should I learn tactics, should I learn fitness Should I learn placement, should I learn speed There is so much to learn Obviously Learn everything Because that's what makes champion He has got game point now It is almost as if Harimoto takes 2 steps forward And Liang takes 3 Yes this has been Quite an intense match Just when you think that Harimoto is dominating You have got Liang fighting back Now this is a little bit more animated Than usual But we would definitely give him Those golden words of advice Looking at this Graphic that we have for you Another Stupas graphic here But sees some AI as well The serves by Liang Jingkun In this particular game that was game number 4 Absolutely so The whole strategy for Liang Jingkun I can tell the audience Is that he is trying to keep lot more balls In the center of the table Which is the middle side And keeping the suspense He is leaving some of the room For shorter and longer serve So that he can confuse Harimoto Which way the next serve would come So much of brilliance here So much of tactics So much of power Now warriors are getting ready For decider I can see in the VVIP box People, dignitaries are taking these selfies Of these two warriors there What a moment to watch out for What a beautiful Liang Jingkun to serve Harimoto to receive Gave away that point Gifted, testing the height again Backhand Of Harimoto Is the winner yet again I can keep marveling at that backhand By the audience And I can see They are the ones who would be really hoping That this match goes their way Because Harimoto Is their torchbearer Literally, you can see You can't see on the camera right now I would love to define this moment for India Just behind Harimoto in the stands Chinese coach And Harimoto's father Both are almost sifting together With one chair difference Cheering and prompting each other They are not just cheering the warrior They are cheering the country His father is saying something Shouting from there Liang Jingkun is down by two points Harimoto to serve For a second He thought that he has got the control But he lost it again Table tennis fraternity Has truly Truly been blessed That the semi-final Is producing such a high octane encounter That's what, as I said earlier During the previous game Harimoto gets two steps forward Liang comes three steps Pairs in the serve And Harimoto was leaning forward With the forehand Trying to get it across the net Now It's four points in a row for Liang Backhand shot win percentage Liang Jingkun 83% And Harimoto at 75% This is a contest between two backhands And this time It's the backhand of Harimoto That has helped him earn that point And equalize at 6-all No timeouts remaining The players are out there on their own They've got to do their own thinking They've got to do their own planning And now to 80% Harimoto well covered the ground there And the backhand shot win percentage Now Harimoto level with Liang 83% both of them On to the ball We often say That if he takes two steps forward Liang takes three Now is he going to come back Will he get that point That is the first step Harimoto wanted to slow down to the ball But well, it's quite a footwork Equalizer Two points forward, Liang has equalized Is he going to take one more Three steps forward Because this is a pattern that we've seen Right through this encounter Backhand shot wins Now Liang has dropped down to 75% Harimoto is up at 8-8 Backhand shot wins Harimoto 88% Leading by a few more percentages Harimoto has got Two Match point Yes a match point And to get Japan rolling here with a win Harimoto Tomakazu Harimoto has got the chance Or does Liang have it in him To take it towards another deuce Harimoto serves Two points behind This has been an exhibition Of great table tennis A world number four Harimoto Tomakazu Has truly set the tone for Japan In this 75% final Having a look at the graphic map Here it is The kind of winners