Japan was edged 3-2 by Sweden in the men's table tennis team semifinals at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, missing its chance to book a final against either China or host France.
After beating Australia 3-0 and Taiwan 3-1 in the previous two rounds, Japan led 2-0 against its European foe before losing the next three games in a back-and-forth contest at South Paris Arena.
Japan will now have a chance to add a bronze medal to the silver and bronze it won at the last two Summer Games.
The Japanese pair of Hiroto Shinozuka and Shunsuke Togami made a slow start in the opening match, dropping the first game 11-8 against Anton Kallberg and Kristian Karlsson, but stormed back to win the next three 11-9, 11-4, 11-7 to give the team the upper hand.
Tomokazu Harimoto was up next against Paris singles silver medalist Truls Moregard. Japan's world No. 9 lost the second match of the previous tie against Taiwan but did not repeat the setback this time, fending off the 10th-ranked Moregard 13-11, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10.
It gave Togami, ranked 16th, a chance to clinch a sweep for Japan but Karlsson had different ideas.
After losing the first game 11-7, the world No. 61 Swede snatched the next two 11-9 before cruising 11-5 in the ensuing game to put his country back in the contest.
"I contributed to the team in my doubles match, but I was the one in my singles match who crushed our momentum for good," Togami said. "I couldn't be sorrier."
Moregard made his second appearance in the fourth match and while 42nd-ranked Shinozuka had his moments, the Swede prevailed 11-5, 11-6, 5-11, 12-10 to extend the tie to the final match.
Harimoto scored five straight points in both the first two games en route to claiming 11-5 wins against 24th-ranked Kallberg, who rallied back with a pair of 11-7 games to force the decider.
"When I was down 0-2 in the last match, I felt like this is not how I wanted this evening to end," Kallberg said. "Just trying to find everything I could. Trying to keep believing, keep fighting. And that's what I did."
Harimoto went up 6-3 but let his lead slip to 9-9. Kallberg then secured a match point on which Harimoto mishit to hand Sweden a ticket to the final.
"We were able to give the fans who came a moving experience," the manager of Japan's men's team, Kunihito Tasei, said. "I think they were superb games. Of course, I think Harimoto is frustrated, but he has nothing to be ashamed of."
"What's important is that we make good use of this next time."
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