Hirano puts China on Olympic alert

Japanese teenager's sensational rise has forced a rethink by main rival, writes Xinhua's Cao Jianjie.

WUXI, Jiangsu - China's longtime table tennis dominance is under threat from a petite 17-year-old Japanese who waves her racket as if brandishing a machete.

Miu Hirano, who stands 5-foot-2, sent three top Chinese players packing en route to Japan's first Asian title in 21 years on Saturday, sounding a stern warning ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and sending shockwaves through the sport in China.