Korea Republic stun China 3-1 as Sweden seize top seeding in London

Korea Republic did more than land the day’s biggest upset at the OVO Wembley Arena. By beating China 3-1, they knocked the multi-time defending champions off balance, sent China into third in the group standings and changed the route through London’s knockout bracket before the main draw had even settled.

The result mattered because Stage 2 is where seeding starts to shape the championship. The 14 group winners and six best second-placed teams move straight on, while the next eight runners-up are forced into an extra preliminary round for the final four places. At a tournament that has brought 64 men’s teams and 64 women’s teams to London from 28 April to 10 May, that is the difference between a manageable path and a dangerous one. A century after the first world championships were staged in England in 1926, Wembley has already become the place where one loss can alter the entire bracket.

China’s decision to sit World No. 1 Chuqin Wang against Korea Republic backfired. Junsung Oh took full advantage, beating both Jingkun Liang and Shidong Lin to drive the turnaround and deliver the headline 3-1 win. It was not simply a one-off shock. It exposed how much margin China had already burned in a turbulent group stage, and it raised fresh questions about how secure their team play looks when the pressure arrives before the medal rounds.

Sweden pushed that point even further. After sweeping Korea Republic 3-0 and then beating England 3-1, they forced their way to the top of the group with a 3-2 victory over China. China brought Wang back for that tie, and he won both of his matches, but the damage had already started in the opening rubber. Elias Ranefur, a surprise pick for Sweden, beat Shidong Lin to set the tone, and Sweden held their nerve long enough to complete the win. The payoff was huge: top seeding and a cleaner knockout path.

Elsewhere, France’s Felix Lebrun and Alexis Lebrun opened with a straight-games win over Chinese Taipei, while Germany edged Japan 3-2 behind Dang Qiu’s straight-games wins over Sora Matsushima and Tomokazu Harimoto before Benedikt Duda closed it out. On a day built around one seismic upset, the wider message was just as sharp: in London, the draw is already behaving like a title race, and China suddenly look vulnerable in team play.