China routed Russia 3-0 in its opening men's team match in the World Table Tennis Championships Monday in Osaka.

Olympic champion Kong Linghui beat Aleksei Smirnov 21-15, 21-14 and world number one Wang Liqin overcame Maksim Chmyrev 21-10, 21- 10.

Atlanta Olympic dual gold medallist and reigning world champion Liu Guoliang completed the Chinese tally with a convincing 21-13, 21-15 win over Evgeni Fadeev.

"Russia is not on the same par with the Chinese players," said Chinese head coach Cai Zhenhua.

Defending champion Sweden, spearheaded by 1989-1997 world champion Jan-Ove Waldner, gave a 3-0 beating to Belarus, led by former world number one Vladmir Samsonov.

(People's Daily 04/23/2001)