A 'North-South Korea showdown' in the women's table tennis team event at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games will have to wait until the final.
The North Korean women's table tennis team defeated the Maldives 3-0 with a match score of 3-0 in the second match of Group C of the women's table tennis team competition at the Archer Canal Sports Park Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China, on Wednesday.
The DPRK, which defeated 'powerhouse' Chinese Taipei in a full-match thriller the previous day, ended the group stage with two wins from two matches to secure the top spot in Group C.
With South Korea clinching the top spot in Group D the previous day, North Korea's victory means the two teams will have to survive to the final to meet.
It is unlikely that the women's team competition will feature a North-South showdown, as both teams are likely to face either 'top dog' China or 'underdog' Japan in the semifinals.
The last time North and South Korean women's table tennis met in an international team event was at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games World Team Qualifier in Portugal in January 2020. North Korea won that match.
China, Japan, South Korea and North Korea have advanced directly to the quarterfinals, while the draw for the round of 16 will be made later in the day.
North Korea cruised to a 3-0 victory over the Maldives, with Park Soo-kyong in the first singles, Kim Geum-young in the second singles and Choi Jong-im in the third singles. 파워볼사이트