Malm¶: Taiwan's Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching faced defeat in the mixed doubles semifinals of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Europe Smash held in Malm¶, Sweden, on Friday. The pair, who are ranked 11th globally, were outplayed by the Chinese duo Lin Shidong and Kuai Man, who hold the world No. 5 ranking. The Taiwanese team lost in straight games, with scores of 5-11, 5-11, 9-11.

According to Focus Taiwan, Lin and Cheng had generated significant anticipation after their victory over the top-ranked South Korean mixed doubles team, Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin, in the quarterfinals on Thursday. This win against the South Koreans had raised hopes for the Taiwanese pair, but they were unable to maintain their winning streak in the semifinals.

With the elimination of Lin and Cheng, Taiwan's presence in the competition now rests with 18-year-old Peng Yu-han. Peng will compete against Japan's Miyu Nagasaki in the women's singles round of 16, continuing Taiwan's quest for success in the tournament.