China defeats South Africa 2-0 at World junior mixed team Championships

On October 6, 2026, at the 2026 World Junior Mixed Team Championships group stage, China defeated South Africa 2-0 in matches, winning 55-20 in the first set and 55-16 in the second set. The tournament utilizes a relay scoring system featuring five disciplines per match.

Squad Performance

• Squad Depth: The team employed rotation strategies, with players like Tu Yichen participating across multiple formats.
• Tournament Outlook: Following their victory against South Africa, China’s next match is a crucial group-stage fixture against Turkey.
• Workload Management: Athletes like Hong Tianyue and Tu Yichen made multiple appearances under the relay format.

Relay Format in Group Play

The 2026 World Junior Mixed Team Championships group stage action continued as the Chinese junior team faced South Africa in their second fixture of the tournament. Operating under the event’s unique relay scoring format, each individual match consists of five distinct disciplines—men’s singles, women’s singles, women’s doubles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Every micro-game awards 11 points, culminating in a maximum ceiling of 55 points per set across a best-of-three set structure.

China secured a 2-0 match victory over South Africa. The opening set saw the squad close out at 55-20. Men’s singles competitor Hong Tianyue defeated Breder 11-4.

Discipline / Segment	First Set Winner (China vs. Opponent)	Second Set Winner (China vs. Opponent)
Men’s Singles	Hong Tianyue 11-4 Breder	Hong Tianyue 11-1 Dednam
Women’s Singles	Zhang Yixin 11-2 Chloe Lai	Liu Siya 11-7 Emily Lee
Women’s Doubles	Tu Yichen / Li Menghan 11-8 Vegarilho / Pretorius	Tu Yichen / Li Menghan 11-4 Vegarilho / Chloe Lai
Men’s Doubles	Shi Sichen / Xiang Yujin 11-2 Emily Lee / Niyayesh	Shi Sichen / Xiang Yujin 11-1 Chloe Lai / Emily Lee
Mixed Doubles	Tu Yichen / Zheng Weigang 11-4 Dednam / Tonde	Tu Yichen / Zheng Weigang 11-3 Breder / Vegarilho

Tactical Execution and Rotations

The second set saw China rotate players to secure a 55-16 scoreline. Hong Tianyue returned to the court in the second set to defeat Dednam 11-1. In the women’s singles, Liu Siya defeated Emily Lee 11-7.

Tu Yichen featured in multiple doubles pairings alongside Li Menghan and Zheng Weigang. Shi Sichen and Xiang Yujin competed in the men’s doubles.

Upcoming Group Decider Against Turkey

Having defeated South Africa, the Chinese junior contingent shifts focus toward their upcoming group-stage showdown against Turkey. This next fixture carries direct implications for group rankings and qualification.

The roster included Hong Tianyue, Tu Yichen, Li Menghan, Shi Sichen, Xiang Yujin, Zheng Weigang, Zhang Yixin, and Liu Siya. As the team prepares for the challenge against Turkey, the objective is to secure group qualification and move toward the Suhandinata Cup.