Japan’s table tennis players have said they were closing the gap with China, but beating world No 1 Sun Yingsha was a must if they are to ever win gold.

They said their narrow defeat to China in the World Team Table Tennis Championships final last weekend has offered fresh insight into how the gap between the two sides can be closed, with one key being the need to break away from conventional styles.

Japan’s women’s team lost 3-2 to China in London on Sunday, extending their run of silver medals at the event to six straight editions, as China secured a seventh consecutive title.

Seventeen-year-old Miwa Harimoto provided the stand-out moment for Japan, stunning China’s Wang Manyu in the opening match 11-4, 11-9, 6-11, 4-11, 11-4 for her first victory over Wang after 11 previous defeats.

“I had never beaten her in 11 previous meetings, so I’m very happy to win this time,” said Harimoto, who was playing as Japan’s first singles in a World Championships final for the first time. “In the team event atmosphere, my opponent was slightly more conservative, while I was more proactive, which helped me secure the win.”

However, China’s depth once again made the difference.