Bucharest, Dec 5 /Agerpres/ – Romania achieved a superb victory over Japan, by 8-2, on Thursday, in the second round of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup taking place in Chengdu (China).

After defeating the USA, by 8-0, on Thursday morning, the Romanian athletes achieved an important success against Japan, a real force in the world of table tennis, but which did not line up the first team in Chengdu.

Against Japan, in the debut match, in the mixed doubles event, the pair Ovidiu Ionescu/Bernadette Szocs defeated by 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 14-12) the pair Keishi Hagihara/Kaho Akae. Then, in the women’s singles, Elizabeta Samara defeated Asuka Sasao 2-1 (6-11, 14-12, 11-7), Eduard Ionescu defeated Yuta Tanaka in the men’s singles, 2-1 (3-11, 11-8, 16-14), and the pair Andreea Dragoman/Bernadette Szocs defeated (11-6) Sakura Mori/Asuka Sasao.

Before the match between China and Hong Kong, Romania ranks first in the second round of the competition, with 7 points (27-13), but it is about to be overtaken by the host team.

There will be three more matches, on Friday against Hong Kong, and on Saturday against Germany and China.

In last year’s edition of the competition, Romania failed to advance from the first phase of the competition.