Shandong Luneng lived up to huge expectations by sitting atop the standings with an unbeaten record in the women's team draw of the 2023 China Table Tennis Super League first stage in Ji'an, east China's Jiangxi Province on Thursday.

The first stage competition began on July 16, with a total of six clubs competing for top four places to advance to the next stage.

Star-studded Shandong Luneng and Shenzhen recorded straight victories in the first four rounds.

Comprising Wang Manyu, Chen Xingtong and Qian Tianyi, Shandong had overcome Heilongjiang, East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) and Chengdu 3-0, and Shanghai Longteng 3-1 in the earlier rounds.

Shenzhen, boasting Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng and Kuai Man, defeated ECUST, Chengdu and Heilongjiang 3-0, and Shanghai Longteng 3-2.

As expected, the top two ranked sides fiercely contested and dragged the match into the fifth set before Shandong came out the winner.

After Chen Xingtong and Qian won the opening doubles match against Chen Meng and Kuai 3-2, Wang extended Luneng's advantage to two matches by beating her national teammate Sun 11-9, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9.

Chen Xingtong and Wang encountered huge challenges in the singles afterwards, losing to Chen Meng and Kuai respectively by 3-2 scorelines.

Qian secured Luneng's victory by overcoming Sun 8-11, 5-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-5 in the deciding set.

The two sides reached the final four together with ECUST and Shanghai Longteng.

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