BEIJING, CHINA - CHINA'S women paddlers booked their spot in the team semi-final at the Olympics on Thursday, with a victory over Austria that left no doubt about the home nation's status as favourite for the gold.

The ping-pong powerhouse's men also moved within a step of the semis by toppling plucky Australia, energised by Wang Liqin's dramatic fightback win.

The Chinese men and women have won all of their bouts in the team event without dropping a match in the best-of-five contests.

The men have struggled more than the women - in relative terms, at least. Their toughest match came when world champion Wang dug a hole for himself against Australia's William Henzell by losing the first game and facing two game points in the second.

But as the crowd roared to life, Wang fought back against Henzell, Australia's top-ranked player at 147th in the world.

The pivotal rally - and among the best these Olympics - came at 10-10 in the second game.

Driven to the boundary more than five metres behind the table, Wang looked to be out of it but lofted a ball that hung in the air and landed with a fierce spin that Henzell could barely handle. Wang went on to win 6-11 12-10 11-9 and 11-9.

'The main thing is that it was good mental training for me, mastering the pressure, which will be a big help for other matches,' Wang said.

Henzell said: 'It feels a bit bitter that I couldn't get across the line but it was the match of my life. I couldn't have played better.' The Chinese men can seal their spot in a playoff for the team gold medal with a victory later on Thursday against the Austrian men, who have also won their first two contests.

China's women, facing their first serious trial in previously undefeated Austria, played with composure and a certain streak of ruthlessness.

Austria's Li Qiangbing, world number 58 and daughter of a China coach, took a game from China's Guo Yue. The feisty Guo responded with a blistering attack to win the deciding game in less than four minutes, taking the match 11-7 11-7 9-11 and 11-4.

Depending on results later on Thursday, the Chinese women could face South Korea, Japan or Hong Kong in their semi-final.

'In the next round all the possible opponents are quite strong, so preparing is the key,' women's world number one Zhang Yining said. -- REUTERS