Chinese table tennis fans showed no mercy to their second-string players after only men’s pair Lin Shidong and Huang Youzheng managed to reach a final in the WTT Contender event in Zagreb.

China’s misfortunes at the table, however, were capitalised on by Hong Kong pair Wong Chun-ting and Doo Hoi-kem, who reeled in the mixed doubles title at the Croatia event to add to their Star Contenders title in Doha in January.

China sent 11 women’s singles players – eight of whom started from the qualifiers – but only five reached the main draw. The leading player in the Chinese contingent, world No 6 Chen Yi, went furthest but was denied in the quarter-finals, which was dominated by Japan, who had six players in it.

None of the four men’s singles qualifiers from China came through, and among the five players in the main draw, Chen Yuanyu, who lost in the semi-finals, was the best performer.

Two of the three women’s doubles pairs also lost in the first round; Chen Yi and Kuai Man lost to Harimoto and Satsuki Odo in the semi-finals. Wen Ruibo and Kuai also lost in the mixed doubles quarter-finals.

Lin and Huang face South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon and Oh Jun-sung in the men’s doubles final on Sunday.