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SCMP Reporter

Hong Kong's women moved a step closer to finishing top of their group with an impressive 3-0 victory over  Germany at the world team championships in Guangzhou yesterday.
With only minnows Thailand to meet in the last match in group C today, Hong Kong should have little problem qualifying directly for the quarter-finals, which start on Friday.
But it was a disappointing day for the men's team as they suffered their first defeat, losing 3-1 to Denmark in group D. They now need to overcome unbeaten Singapore today to keep their hopes alive.
Tie Yana kicked off for the women with a 3-2 victory over Wu Jiaduo. Jiang Huajun kept things rolling with a 3-0 win over Elke Wosik, before Lin Ling downed Zhenqi Barthel 3-1.
'Tie's match was crucial as it could have gone either way when it was locked at 2-2,' said coach Li Huifen. 'I was happy Tie was able to dig deep and pull out a win. If she had lost, it would have put a lot of pressure on her teammates.'
After the men's defeat, Li Ching admitted they would need to work harder.
'Denmark played one of their best games and I failed to win some big points,' said Hong Kong's top player. 'Even if we finish third in the group, we can still make it to the knockout stage, but the road will be much tougher.'
The second- and third-placed  teams in each of the four groups play off against each other to qualify for the quarter-finals, while the four top teams of each group go straight into the last eight.
Michael Maze put the Danes up with a 3-0 win over Cheung Yuk in the opening tie. Li, the world number 11, surrendered the following tie 3-2 to Finn Tugwell.
Ko Lai-chak pulled one back for Hong Kong with a 3-0 win over Christian Larsen, but Li lost 3-1 to Maze in the fourth match. Li was leading 9-5 in the fourth game, but allowed Maze to come back to win it 11-9, and the match.
'[Hong Kong] were under pressure after conceding the first tie and we also enjoyed some luck throughout the entire match. That's why we won,' said Maze.
High ambition
Hong Kong's women are aiming to finish top of their group in Guangzhou: 1



Hong Kong women sweep Germany to boost hopes of quarter-final spot