If records are anything to go by, China look good to add to their 15 Uber Cups in Chengdu in a fortnight.
Not only do the Chinese have home advantage and the strongest squad on paper, history is on their side too.
This year will be the fourth time China are hosting the World Women’s Team Championships – they won the previous three editions, all against Korea.
Guangzhou 2002
Despite coming into the tournament as two-time defending champions, pressure was on as this was China’s debut as hosts. It did very little to affect Li Yongbo’s charges – they cruised to a record 10th final with two 5-0 wins and a 4-1 victory in the group before seeing off Hong Kong China 3-0 in the semis to set up a title clash with Korea. At the end of the contest, the Chinese national anthem would again be played at the Tianhe Stadium as the home nation emerged winners for the eighth time, winning 3-1.
Wuhan 2012
Ten years on, revenge was on the cards as Korea had disrupted a six-edition winning run in 2010 in Kuala Lumpur. Wang Yi Han, whose opening match loss to Bae Seung Hee two years earlier in Malaysia handed the impetus to Korea, redeemed herself with 14-21 22-20 21-13 win over Sung Ji Hyun. Wang later remarked: “Now I can proudly say I’m over it.” Top women’s pair Yu Yang/Wang Xiaoli and Wang Xin then completed the task with straight games wins over Kim Min Jung/Ha Jung Eun and Bae Youn Joo respectively.
Kunshan 2016
After defending their title in New Delhi, India, the 13-time champions welcomed the competition back to their country eyeing a hattrick. They did just that, and in the process promoted talented youngster Chen Qing Chen. Chen made her bow alongside the experienced Tang Jin Hua in the second Group A game against Spain and featured again with Tang Yuan Ting in the 5-0 win over Denmark. In the final, Chen and Tang Yuan Ting duly stepped up to deliver the winning point against Chang Ye Na/Lee So Hee with a 21-14 21-16 result. Earlier, London 2012 Olympic champion Li Xuerui had put China 1-0 up with the takedown of Sung but Jung Kyung Eun and Shin Seung Chan battled back to defeat Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei. Asian Games gold medallist Wang Shixian eased past Kim Hyo Min to leave the stage to Chen and Tang.