China's women's hockey team delivered a commanding performance on Wednesday, defeating Japan 2-0 in the Super 4s stage opener of the Women's Asia Hockey Cup in Hangzhou. The victory extends China's unbeaten streak in the tournament, solidifying their position as strong contenders for the title.
The newly introduced Super 4s format replaces traditional knockout rounds, pitting the top two teams from each initial group against one another in a round-robin phase. The top two finishers will advance directly to the final, heightening strategic stakes for each match.
Zou Meirong opened the scoring in the 13th minute after a swift assist from Liu Chencheng, marking her eighth goal of the competition. China maintained relentless pressure, doubling their lead through Liu's penalty corner conversion in the second half, assisted by Zhang Ying.
Japan struggled to break through China's defense despite late efforts, missing three critical short corners in the final minute. The result sets up a high-stakes Thursday schedule, with China facing India and Japan taking on the Republic of Korea in their next Super 4s matches.
