Hayata, 25, faced Ni Xialian in the third match of the Japan versus Luxembourg encounter in the women's team round of 16. Hayata's teammates had secured two victories earlier, meaning her win against the Chinese-born veteran would advance Japan to the quarterfinals.

Given the difference in skill and age, Hayata won decisively with scores of 11-3, 11-4, and 11-0. An 11-0 score in a game is a rare occurrence in elite table tennis, having only happened two times since the start of the tournament's knockout stage.

Despite the loss, Ni smiled warmly and shook Hayata's hand after the match. As both teams were leaving the playing hall, the two players met again. The Luxembourg athlete pointed and said something that made them both laugh. Afterward, the Japanese player repeatedly bowed deeply to Ni, showing profound respect.

In a post-match interview, Hayata expressed humility when speaking about Ni. "She is still competing at the highest level and is respected by everyone," the 25-year-old player told Kyodo News. "I am truly fortunate to have had the opportunity to compete against someone like her on the international stage."

Ni was born on 4/7/1963 in Shanghai, Trung Quoc. She represented Trung Quoc, winning two world gold medals in 1983. In 1989, she moved to Germany and later settled in Luxembourg. Since then, she has been named Luxembourg's best female athlete two times.

Hayata is currently Japan's number two player and the world's 11th-ranked women's singles player. Her best singles achievement is a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics. Meanwhile, Ni is ranked 497th globally.

Hayata bows to Ni after the match between Japan and Luxembourg in the round of 16 of the World Team Table Tennis Championships at Wembley Arena, London, United Kingdom on 6/5/2026. Photo: screenshot.

The post-match interaction between Ni and Hayata also delighted Japanese fans. On social media platform X, user @tobitanuki commented: "It seems Ni said she couldn't believe they just competed against each other on the world stage."

User @Kiii_ttl responded: "Ni lost but still smiled warmly and encouraged Hayata. Truly a legend loved by all."

This victory propelled Japan into the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the match between the US and Ukraine. The most anticipated quarterfinal match will be between Trung Quoc and South Korea.