The 17-year-old attributed her shock win to her "hard practice and good mental state". But she was also keen to point out how much she had learned from her Chinese rivals.

"The chance to communicate with Chinese athletes during the 2016China Table Tennis Super Leaguehas also enriched my experience," said Miu.

After the women's team's chastening experience in Wuxi, it appears that China also has a lot of work to do before the World Championships begin on May 29.

"We will definitely have to study Hirano's strengths during our closed training for the [World] Championships," said Chinese women's team coach Kong Linghui. "Her techniques are indeed more advanced than ours."

Miu Hirano, Japanese table tennis player, serves the ball during the women's singles final at the 23rd Asian Table Tennis Championships, held in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, on April 15. [Photo by Han Jingjing/chinadaily.com.cn]

Miu Hirano and her coach wave to the crowd after Miu's 3-0 victory over Chinese table tennis player Chen Meng in the women's singles final of the 23rd Asian Table Tennis Championships, held in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, on April 15. [Photo by Han Jingjing/chinadaily.com.cn]