Fang Bo, right, and Petrissa Solja were forced to dig deep before winning ©Getty Images

Sino-German partnership Fang Bo and Petrissa Solja were given a huge scare before winning their opening mixed doubles clash at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Championships here today. 

Fang claimed the world singles silver in 2015 but is focusing only on doubles events this year.

Solja, a member of the German team which took the Olympic silver medal at Rio 2016, is the leading home entrant in the singles.

He is also a leading doubles player.

The language barrier between Fang and Solja meant there was a lack of chemistry and communication between the two against United States opponents Kunal Chodri and Lily Zhang.

The Americans took the first, third and fifth game to lead 3-2 before the favourites fought back to win 9-11,11-4, 9-11, 11-3, 5-11, 11-2, 11-6.

They will have to improve, though, if they are to progress to the latter stages.

Mixed nationality pairings were re-introduced by the ITTF in 2014 in an attempt to help doubles events more popular.

The mixed nationality pairing of Germany's Timo Boll, left, and China's Zhang Jike won their opening match in the doubles competition at the ITTF World Championships ©Getty Images
The mixed nationality pairing of Germany's Timo Boll, left, and China's Zhang Jike won their opening match in the doubles competition at the ITTF World Championships ©Getty Images

Top seeds Lee Sang-su and Yang Haeun of South Korea progressed more comfortably 11-1, 11-9, 11-4, 11-9 over Argentina's Francisco Sanchi and Candela Molero.

Another Chinese-German collaboration enjoyed far more comfortable progress in the men's doubles as Timo Boll and Ma Long cruised past Tamas Lakatos and Krisztian Nagy of Hungary 11-5, 11-6, 11-9, 11-1.

They face a possible third round meeting with the only all Chinese pair in the draw, Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin, who cruised past Croatia's Frane Kojic and Tomislav Pucar 11-8, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 .

Top seeds Masataka Morizono and Yuya Oshima of Japan impressed, winning 11-7, 11-5, 11-8, 13-11 in what looked like a tough opener against Portugeuse and Croatian partnership Marcos Freitas and Andrej Gacina.

There was a moment of great sportsmanship elsewhere as Romanians Adrian Crisan and Ovidiu Ionescu overturned an umpire's call to concede an edge call at 13-13 in the final set of their match against Germany's Patrick Franzisca and Denmark's Jonathon Groth.

The German-Danish duo, reigning European champions and second seeds, duly scraped home 10-12, 4-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9, 5-11, 13-15 in a thrilling contest.

The doubles events were the first opportunity to see the world's best players in action here this week.

It was another busy day of competition today at the World Table Tennis Championships ©Getty Images
It was another busy day of competition today at the World Table Tennis Championships ©Getty Images

Seeded entrants are enter the competition in the two singles events tomorrow following the end of preliminary competition today.

Olympic and defending world champion and top seed Ma of China is scheduled to open tomorrow against Mihai Bobocica of Italy.

Fan, seeded second in the singles, will face France's Quentin Robinot.

China's 2011 and 2013 world champion Zhang Jike will be up against Nagy.

On the women's side, defending champion and top ranked Ding Ning of China will play Daria Trigolos of Belarus.

Compatriot Liu Shiwen, seeded second, will start at the bottom of the draw against Airi Avameri of Estonia.

Japan's Asian champion Miu Hirano is expected to be the major threat to the dominant Chinese.

She will face Nigeria's Olufunke Oshonaike in her first match.