Japan guaranteed itself a first-ever Olympic men's table tennis team medal on Monday after beating Germany 3-1 to set up a final showdown with defending champion China.
Maharu Yoshimura lost the opening singles match 3-0 before team ace Jun Mizutani — who won bronze in the singles competition four days previously — beat Timo Boll 3-0 to tie the match and set up a pivotal doubles clash between Yoshimura and Koki Niwa and Germany's Boll and Bastian Steger.
The Japanese pair triumphed 3-1 after a fierce dogfight to give Mizutani the chance to close out the match in his singles matchup with Steger, and the world No. 6 did so with ease, thrashing his opponent 3-0 at Riocentral Pavilion 3.
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