BEIJING (Kyodo) National champion Jun Mizutani played a pivotal role with singles and doubles wins to help Japan beat Hong Kong and earn a spot in the semifinals of the men's table tennis team competition at the Beijing Olympic Games on Thursday.
Chinese-born Yo Kan put Japan up and Mizutani downed Yuk Cheung in four sets before teaming up with Seiya Kishikawa in the doubles, in which they survived seven match points in the final game to pull off a 5-11, 11-4, 12-14, 14-12, 15-13 win.