Olympics: Singapore loses to Japan in table tennis semi-finals
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Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa and Sayaka Hirano (top right) celebrate making it to the finals after defeating Singapore's Wang Yuegu and Li Jiawei (right) in their women's team semifinals table tennis match at the ExCel venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games on Aug 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa (L) looks on as she celebrates victory of her team against Singapore in a table tennis women's team semi-final match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Japan's table tennis players Sayaka Hirano (L) and Kasumi Ishikawa embrace as they celebrate after beating Singapore in the women's team semi-match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Japan's table tennis players Kasumi Ishikawa (2L), Ai Fukuhara (L) and Sayaka Hirano (2R) cry as they celebrate with their coach after beating Singapore in the women's team semi-match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Japan's table tennis players Kasumi Ishikawa (L) and Sayaka Hirano weep after beating Singapore in the women's team semi-match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Japan's Seiya Kishikawa (top L) and Sayaka Hirano whisper strategy against Singapore's Li Jiawei and Wang Yuegu during a table tennis women's team semi-final match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Singapore's Li Jiawei (to L) and Wang Yuegu compete against Japan's Seiya Kishikawa and Sayaka Hirano during a table tennis women's team semi-final match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Singapore's Yuegu Wang, left, and Jiawei Li play Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa and Sayaka Hirano in the women's team semifinal table tennis match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, in London. -- PHOTO: AP
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Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa and Sayaka Hirano (R) celebrate making it to the finals after defeating Singapore's Wang Yuegu and Li Jiawei in their women's team semifinals table tennis match at the ExCel venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa, left, and Sayaka Hirano react after defeating Singapore's Jiawei Li and Yuegu Wang in the women's team semifinal table tennis match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, in London. -- PHOTO: AP
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Japan's table tennis player Kasumi Ishikawa celebrates a point against Singapore's Wang Yuegu during the women's team semi-final match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Singapore's Yuegu Wang returns a shot to Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa during the women's team semifinal table tennis match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, in London. -- PHOTO: AP
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Singapore's table tennis player Feng Tianwei serves to Japan's Ai Fukuhara during the women's team semi-match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa and Sayaka Hirano (top right) celebrate making it to the finals after defeating Singapore's Wang Yuegu and Li Jiawei (right) in their women's team semifinals table tennis match at the ExCel venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games on Aug 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa (L) looks on as she celebrates victory of her team against Singapore in a table tennis women's team semi-final match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Japan's table tennis players Sayaka Hirano (L) and Kasumi Ishikawa embrace as they celebrate after beating Singapore in the women's team semi-match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Japan's table tennis players Kasumi Ishikawa (2L), Ai Fukuhara (L) and Sayaka Hirano (2R) cry as they celebrate with their coach after beating Singapore in the women's team semi-match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Japan's table tennis players Kasumi Ishikawa (L) and Sayaka Hirano weep after beating Singapore in the women's team semi-match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Japan's Seiya Kishikawa (top L) and Sayaka Hirano whisper strategy against Singapore's Li Jiawei and Wang Yuegu during a table tennis women's team semi-final match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Singapore's Li Jiawei (to L) and Wang Yuegu compete against Japan's Seiya Kishikawa and Sayaka Hirano during a table tennis women's team semi-final match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Singapore's Yuegu Wang, left, and Jiawei Li play Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa and Sayaka Hirano in the women's team semifinal table tennis match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, in London. -- PHOTO: AP
Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa and Sayaka Hirano (R) celebrate making it to the finals after defeating Singapore's Wang Yuegu and Li Jiawei in their women's team semifinals table tennis match at the ExCel venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa, left, and Sayaka Hirano react after defeating Singapore's Jiawei Li and Yuegu Wang in the women's team semifinal table tennis match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, in London. -- PHOTO: AP
Japan's table tennis player Kasumi Ishikawa celebrates a point against Singapore's Wang Yuegu during the women's team semi-final match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Singapore's Yuegu Wang returns a shot to Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa during the women's team semifinal table tennis match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, in London. -- PHOTO: AP
Singapore's table tennis player Feng Tianwei serves to Japan's Ai Fukuhara during the women's team semi-match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on August 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Singapore's table tennis women's team will have to play for bronze after losing their Olympics team semi-final against Japan on Monday morning (Singapore time).
The 2008 silver-medallists were beaten 0-3 by the third seeds, with Feng Tianwei suffering a shock 1-3 (9-11, 6-11, 11-5, 9-11) defeat by Ai Fukuhara in the opening match.
Wang Yuegu was trounced 0-3 (5-11, 6-11, 2-11) by Kasumi Ishikawa in the 2nd singles.
There was no luck in the doubles either, when Wang and Li Jiawei crumbled to a 0-3 (3-11, 11-13, 4-11) defeat by Hirano Sayaka and Ishikawa.
Said Feng: "After losing the first match, the whole team was affected. But Japan played very well, beyond what I expected."
Japan are through to the final, and Singapore will meet either South Korea or China for the bronze medal match on Tuesday.
