Ukraine produced one of the most dramatic results of the 2026 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in London on Tuesday, edging the United States 3-2 in a women's round-of-16 marathon that ran for two hours and 45 minutes — the longest match yet of the eight-day tournament.
The win, backed by the experience of veteran Margaryta Pesotska and the resilience of 19-year-old Veronika Matiunina, secured Ukraine's place in the quarter-finals and a head-to-head against second-seeded Japan. It also extended a strong knockout campaign that had begun the previous night with the elimination of host nation England.
For the United States, the loss closed an event in which they had genuine quarter-final ambition. Lily Zhang, the US number one and three-time Olympian, won her two singles matches but couldn't tip the doubles balance. Amy Wang lost a five-set decider that featured 12 total deuce points and a final game that went 16-14. The match's overall length was driven by long rallies and three video reviews — a feature of the new ITTF officiating protocol that has divided opinion in London.
US Table Tennis high-performance director Jasna Reed said after the match that the 2 hour 45 minute duration would be discussed at the next ITTF technical commission meeting. "At a certain point you start asking whether the rules are protecting the sport's spectacle or undermining it," she said. "This match should have been settled a half-hour earlier."
Ukraine head coach Yana Zarechna pointed to the squad's 18-month rebuild process. "Two years ago we lost in the first round and went home," she said. "Today we beat one of the strongest nations in the women's draw. The progress is what we are most proud of."
Elsewhere in the women's bracket, China — top seeds — saw off Sweden 3-0, Japan handled Luxembourg without dropping a game, France beat Italy 3-0, Germany swept Korea DPR 3-0 and Hong Kong China upset Chinese Taipei 3-2. Korea Republic needed four matches against Singapore. The quarter-final draw places China against Korea Republic, Germany against Hong Kong China, Ukraine against Japan and France against Romania.
The men's bracket saw the United States exit at the round-of-16 stage on Monday night to Japan, also 3-2. The tie pitted Japanese number one Tomokazu Harimoto against US number two Kanak Jha for the deciding match, which Harimoto won in five.
Ukraine's progress is particularly notable given the federation's training base disruptions over the past four years. Most of the senior women's squad has been training between Lviv and Slovakia, with a satellite high-performance camp in Bratislava. The federation announced last week that the 2026 Worlds budget had been raised by donors who chose to remain anonymous; head of mission Iryna Kholod said in London that "every match we play is a thank-you note."
Ukraine's quarter-final against Japan begins on Friday morning. Pesotska, the 38-year-old veteran who has now played in seven consecutive World Championships, said simply: "We are tired, but we are here. The next match starts at zero."
