Although having succumbed to second- seeded Chinese Wang Liqin and Wang Hao in duo quarter finals, the victory of Japanese male table tennis players Jun Mizutani and Seiya Kishikawa over Chinese star Hao Shuai and Ma Long during the eighth finals prompted people back home believe that the double bear the hope for the future of Japanese men's table tennis.

They succeeded in the game against the current super power on the world table tennis court with their courage and arduous efforts, and led Japanese men's doubles into the world top eight for the first time in 10 years, Kyodo News said in a recent sports commentary.

Mizutani's aggressive serve and Kishikawa's unique back hand technique checked Hao and Ma, and in the quarter finals, their catching of two games after losing the first three kept the Chinese opponents at unease until the end of the match, the commentary said.

Seiya Kishikawa is 2004 world junior champion and Jun Mizutani is national champion. The double said the latest tour gave them experience as well as confidence.

The Japanese men's table tennis, which has been in a low ebb for a long time, is regaining a silver lining, even if not a bright future, Kyodo said.