China's top table tennis players delivered commanding performances at the ITTF World Cup in Macao on Thursday, with world No. 2 Wang Chuqin securing a flawless 4-0 victory to advance unscathed through group stages. The 23-year-old from the Chinese mainland overwhelmed Croatia's Tomislav Pucar (11-3, 11-5, 11-8, 11-1), avenging his only previous loss to the Croatian player in 2019 and becoming the sole Chinese athlete to reach the last 16 without conceding a single game.
World No. 1 Lin Shidong showed similar dominance in Group 1, rallying after an initial setback to defeat Poland's Milosz Redzimski 3-1. The victory extends Lin's unbeaten record against Redzimski and sets up a key matchup against Sweden's Anton Kallberg in the next round.
On the women’s side, Sun Yingsha overcame a spirited challenge from Chinese Taipei's Chien Tung-Chuan to win 3-1 (11-6, 11-3, 11-5, 7-11). The top-ranked women's player demonstrated strategic adaptability following her earlier 3-1 loss to India's Manika Batra in the group stage.
The tournament saw some unexpected outcomes, with Wang Yidi securing a decisive 4-0 victory over Portugal’s Shao Jieni (11-9, 11-2, 11-3, 11-7) despite her elimination due to a prior loss to France’s Yuan Jianan. The mixed results highlight the growing competitiveness in international table tennis as athletes prepare for Paris 2024 qualification cycles.
