Taipei: Taiwanese Olympians Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching on Saturday settled for a silver medal in the mixed doubles category at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Star Contender Muscat 2025 competition after losing to their Japanese opponents.

According to Focus Taiwan, the world No. 9 duo fell to Japan’s Satoshi Aida and Hitomi Sato 9-11, 5-11, 6-11 in the final, missing what would have been their second title of the season. Lin and Cheng previously clinched the mixed doubles title at the WTT Star Contender London 2025 competition on October 26.

Despite being seeded third among 16 pairs in the mixed doubles field, the Taiwanese duo struggled against the Japanese pair, who are both defensive specialists known for their chopping style. Although Aida and Sato are ranked outside the world’s top 100 and rarely team up, they advanced from the qualifiers to the main draw and ultimately secured the championship.

In the opening game, Lin and Cheng trailed 0-3 early but managed to narrow the gap to 6-7 before a fortunate edge ball from the Japanese side halted their momentum, allowing Aida and Sato to take the game. In the second game, the Taiwanese pair started strongly with a 4-1 lead, but a series of unforced errors and continued difficulty handling their opponents’ chopping shots shifted the momentum. Aida surprised with several decisive backhand counterattacks, aiding the Japanese team in a 10-1 run to claim a two-game lead.

During the third game, Lin and Cheng again found themselves on the defensive, falling behind 1-7. Lin’s four consecutive powerful returns helped narrow the gap to 5-7, but a rare attacking error from Cheng at the net allowed their opponents to execute a 4-1 surge, sealing the match.