(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-01 21:47

GUANGZHOU - South Korean men's team pushed its way into the final of the world table tennis championships after sweeping over Japan on Saturday.

South Korea's Ryu Seung-min returns a shot to Japan's Kaii Yoshida during the men's semi-finals of the World Team Table Tennis Championships in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou March 1, 2008. [Agencies]

Kaii Yoshida of Japan stretched fully but found himself hopeless to stand against an aggressive Ryu Seung Min, the 2004 Olympic champion, in the first two sets.

Yoshida managed to level the score at several set points in the third game but did not seized his chances before losing 12-14.

Japanese teenage prodigy Jun Mizutani staged a gruelling match with 39th-ranked Lee Jung Woo, who got steam in the deciding set to beat Mizutani 3-2 following a 2-2 draw.

Kan Yo, former player of China's Liaoning province, thumped Joo Se Hyuk 3-2 by forcing the top-class defensive chopper to make errors, catching up 1-2 in sets.

Mizutani, who overpowered China's Wang Hao in 2005, fought hard to challenge a determined Ryu in his second outing but exited, losing the whole match 1-3.

South Korea outlasted Germany to reach the semifinals Friday.

Vying for their first team title, South Korea will show down with China in the final on Sunday.