Brazilian duo is the only non-chinese at this stage of the tournament, which is considered the ‘grand slam’ of table tennis; Next confrontation is against Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, current Olympic champions
In an unprecedented feat for Brazilian table tennis, the duo and secured their place in the semifinals of China Smash, one of the main competitions of the sport. The 3-0 win over the Spaniards Alvaro Robles and Maria Xiao (11/6, 11/8, 11/8) has marked the first time the partnership, formed for the Paris Olympic Games, reaches this phase in a tournament of this size.
The achievement becomes even more expressive because Calderano and Takahashi are the only non -Chinese athletes to reach this stage of the dispute, considered the “Grand Slam” of table tennis. The performance in the tournament has already yielded 2,610 points in the ranking of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), which boosted them from 9th to 7th position. If they advance to the final, they can add 3,310 points and climb to 4th place in the world ranking.
Next challenge
The duo’s next confrontation will be against the Chinese Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, current Olympic champions. The decisive game will define the last seat for the China Smash final.
