Macau ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup kicks off with intense competition
China News Service, Macau, April 15th. The highly anticipated seven-day 2024 Macau ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup officially began on the 15th at the Galaxy Arena in Macau. With 48 of the world‘s top table tennis players vying for the prestigious title, fans were treated to a thrilling start to the tournament.
One of the standout matches of the day in the men’s category featured the world‘s fourth-ranked player Ma Long from China facing off against the 15-year-old Australian player Aditya Salin. Ma Long demonstrated his prowess on the table by easily defeating Salin with a commanding 4:0 score.
In another exciting match, Wang Chuqin, the number one ranked player in the world, had a tough battle against South Korean player Ahn Jae-hyun, resulting in a 2:2 draw.
The competition remained intense as Chinese player Lin Gaoyuan, with a 2:0 lead, was challenged by Croatian player Tomislav Puka and forced to settle for a 2:2 draw.
Over in the women’s category, the world’s number one player Sun Yingsha from China displayed her exceptional skills by sweeping aside Hong Kong’s Zhu Chengzhu in four consecutive games with scores of 11:9, 11:4, 11:8, 11:3. Sun Yingsha is set to face off against Chinese Taipei’s Chen Siyu on April 17.
Sun Yingsha’s teammate Wang Yidi, ranked third in the world, defeated Du Kaiqin from Hong Kong with a 3:1 score. Meanwhile, Japanese player Hina Hayata secured a victory over German player Sabine Winter with a 3:1 score.
The event, sanctioned by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), is being hosted by the Sports Bureau of the Macau SAR Government, Galaxy Entertainment Group, and World Table Tennis Management Group Co., Ltd. It is co-organized by the Macau Table Tennis Federation, promising more thrilling matches and fierce competition in the days to come.