North beats South in Korean TT showdown

North Korea earned the right to challenge China for the top prize in women's team table tennis, outplaying South Korea in an electrifying intra-peninsular battle on Friday.

North Korea's 3-1 victory over their southern neighbours in the World championship semi-finals did as much to highlight Korean unity as it did cross-border rivalry.

The two countries had initially planned to field a unified team after a visit earlier this year to North Korea by South Korea's minister of culture, tourism and sports.

But North Korea backed out of the plan in March, citing difficulties reaching agreement over the issue.

The chance for ping pong diplomacy was not lost on ethnic Koreans resident in Japan, who have flocked to the World championships with banners calling for a unified peninsula and chanted simply "Ko-re-a".

Favourites and defending champions China ended Japan's dream of reaching the finals, crushing the host nation 3-0.

Japan's An Konishi put up a valiant fight but had no answer to the attacking play of Zhang Yining, ranked third in the world, who won 21-21, 21-15, 21-10.

Number one Wang Nan, aiming with her team mates for a fifth straight world title and 14th overall, made short work of Japan's Yoshie Takada in a 21-14, 21-14 triumph.

Li Ju, ranked second, used her lethal topspin to complete a comfortable victory.

China will play North Korea in the final on Saturday.