Ryusuke Sakamoto, who partnered Ai Fukuhara to a mixed doubles victory at the national championships last month, has earned a singles berth for this spring's World Table Tennis Championships through the men's qualifying meet on Thursday.
The 20-year-old Aomori University student will make his third world championship appearance at the April 30-May 6 competition in Shanghai, following the 2001 Osaka championships and the 2003 Paris championships.
On Thursday, Sakamoto beat Hyogo Kayama in full sets in the Group B final at Koshigaya Gymnasium in Saitama Prefecture.