ITTF Men's and Women's World Cup Macao 2025 Day 1

In a match that was physically taxing for both players, Sawettabut outlasted Nayeong, rallying well after losing the first game to get off to a great start to her World Cup campaign.

Australian teenage sensation Nicholas Lum will walk away with mixed emotions, as he played out a 2-2 (7-11, 11-5, 11-9, 10-12) draw against Wong Chun Ting.

Trailing 0-1, Nicholas pulled out all the stops, using his powerful forehand topspin shots to trouble Wong. On the brink of victory, Lum squandered 2 game points in the 4th game, losing 10-12 and settling for a draw.

“I think I played very well, but am obviously a bit disappointed. I had a big opportunity in the fourth set to get the 3-1 win, but my opponent showcased his experience during those big points”, reflected Lum.

Jia Nan Yuan and Jieni Shao played out a 2-2 (7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9) draw in an evenly contested contest. A match that was expected to go down the wire, both players stuck to their strengths of playing quick rallies from close to the table, matching each other shot for shot.

Having lost 2-3 to Shao in their previous 2 encounters, Yuan did well to overcome a 1-2 deficit, winning 11-9 in a close fourth game to walk away with a draw.

Dimitrij Ovtcharov and An Jaehyun cruised to straight set wins in their opening matches.

Ovtcharov, the only former World Cup winner in the Men’s singles, faced local hope Chan Chi In, an unknown but dangerous entity who had some dazzling strokes in his arsenal. But Ovtcharov proved too strong, and was mentally switched on from the get go, bringing his big event experience to the fore and winning 11-5, 11-6, 11-1, 11-6

An Jaehyun won 11-6, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 against Cameroonian chopper Ylane Batix. In a battle of contrasting styles, both players put up a show worthy of an exhibition match, playing some of the best rallies of the day. Plenty of athleticism was on display, with the teenage Batix even falling over in a marathon rally which might well be the point of the day.

At 63, Li, the tournament’s oldest competitor, delighted a supportive crowd by consistently outmaneuvering her younger opponent with skillful placements. Nonetheless, Suh managed to navigate the tight exchanges against the experienced Li and ultimately emerged victorious.

African superstars Quadri Aruna and Abdel-Kader Salifou battled it out in a nail-biting encounter, with Aruna prevailing 3-1 (11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8) in a rematch of their ITTF African Cup encounter.

In a match where momentum swung both ways , Aruna managed to hold on to an 3-1 win despite trailing in the second and fourth game.

“A first match in such events is always difficult, and I am happy that I managed to remain calm. Getting a 2-0 lead gave me some confidence. He did come back in the third and fourth game, but I managed to hold on for the win. I am really happy and satisfied with my performance”, reflected Aruna.

Salifou was all class despite his hard fought loss – “Congratulations to Aruna for a good win. This is only my second competition since I have started representing Benin, and am playing in the international circuit after a gap of 5 years so I think that showed a bit. I had chances to get a draw and was leading 8-6 in the fourth game, but credit to Aruna for coming back well. I will keep trying my best and focus on the next match now”

Tomislav Pucar began his World Cup campaign in style, seeing off teenager Aditya Sareen 4-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-5, 11-8).

The Croatian’s vast experience and skill were evident, as he controlled the match effortlessly, leaving the teenager with limited opportunities to challenge him.

Elizabeta Samara opened her campaign with a confident 4-0 victory over Amy Wang (12-10, 11-9, 11-5, 11-6). Despite a tense beginning, the seasoned Romanian, making her 8th ITTF World Cup appearance, leveraged her experience to edge out the first two tight games and swiftly secure the match thereafter.

Japanese southpaw Hiroto Shinozuka fended off a late onslaught from Brazilian Eric Jouti to claim a convincing 4-0 win (11-3, 11-7, 12-10, 11-8).

Jouti had an opening in the third game to turn the momentum but Shinozuka stayed composed, taking the game 12-10 before sealing the match in a Group 11 tie.

Kao Cheng-Jui and Huang Yi-Hua extended the Chinese Taipei contingent’s winning streak on Day 1 with straight-set victories over their New Zealand opponents.

Huang Yi-Hua delivered a commanding performance, defeating Jocelyn Lam 11-1, 11-1, 11-5, 11-8 in a one-sided affair. Meanwhile, Kao Cheng-Jui faced a tougher challenge against Alfred Dela Pena, winning 11-6, 11-7, 11-5, 11-7. Despite the loss, the left-handed Pena impressed with some spectacular rallies, keeping Cheng-Jui on alert and entertaining the crowd with his spirited play.

Paris Olympics starlet and reigning World Youth Champion Annett Kaufmann showed great composure, rallying from a 0-2 deficit to draw 2-2 (8-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5) against Prithika Pavade.

Pavade, who had maintained a flawless win record against Kaufmann on the international stage, missed a crucial chance to seal the match, narrowly losing the third game 9-11. Both players impressed with their aggressive shot-making, with Pavade initially dominating through her superior backhand and athletic displays, including step-around forehands and powerful topspin shots.

Kaufmann’s tactical adjustments—slowing the pace and utilizing precise placements to push Pavade further from the table—proved decisive in her comeback, earning a hard-fought draw in this tightly contested encounter.

“I was a bit nervous in the beginning, and felt I was a bit unlucky with the amount of nets and edges that I got from my opponent. But full credit to her, she played very strongly and I had to fight hard. But I am happy that I was mentally strong and could overcome my frustration to secure a draw”, said Kaufmann

Day 1, Evening Session is well and truly underway with two tight matches to begin proceedings with.

In the Men’s singles, Simon Gauzy continued his dominance over Alvaro Robles on the international stage, securing his seventh consecutive win in their rivalry. Despite losing the first game, Gauzy rallied impressively, clinching a close second game to regain momentum and ultimately triumphed 3-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-6) in this highly competitive encounter between European table tennis stalwarts.

In the Women’s singles, Chien Tung-Chuan showcased her grit against Mo Zhang, securing a 3-1 victory (11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 8-11). Despite a brief lapse in focus that cost her the fourth game, Chien capitalized on strong crowd support to prevail against an experienced Zhang.

The morning session of Day 1 concluded with a thrilling Men’s singles showdown, as Feng Yi-Hsin edged out Anders Lind in a fiercely contested 4-game battle, securing a 11-8, 6-11, 11-3, 11-9 victory. The match featured exceptional stroke play from both players and witnessed the TTR system being utilized twice, adding to the intensity of this captivating encounter.

Goda, fresh off her ITTF African Cup win, showed no sign of nerves and attacked from the get go, never allowing Li to impose herself on the match.

Togami was relatively unopposed in his 11-6, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 victory over the Ionescu, dominating all aspects of the match in a flawless effort.

Ying, making her second World Cup appearance, was consistent with her defensive play as she ‘chopped’ her way to a comfortable 11-4, 11-5, 11-2, 11-9 win.

Chinese prodigy and reigning World Youth Champion Huang Youzheng cruised to a dominant 4-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-2, 11-8) victory over veteran Mohamed Elbiali. Backed by enthusiastic crowd support, Huang dazzled with remarkable shot-making to seal the match swiftly.

The encounter also witnessed the tournament’s first-ever Table Tennis Review (TTR), initiated by Elbiali after the umpire called a foul on his serve. However, the decision was upheld, leaving the Egyptian visibly frustrated and struggling to regain his rhythm thereafter.

The 39 year old brought all of his experience to the fore, shaking off a slow start in the first game to go 2-1 up in the tie. He used heavy backspin serves and slow topspin shots to disrupt Uda’s timing, forcing him to play slower paced rallies more suited to Wang’s own speed. Wang also had a 9-8 lead in the fourth game and an opportunity to win the tie 3-1, but Uda regrouped at the right time to keep himself in the reckoning.

Sabine Winter and her new ‘Anti-spin’ backhand continue to create waves on the circuit, as she won 3-1 (11-4, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7) in a tough encounter against Lee Eunhye. Winter used her backhand to great effect, constantly using changes of pace and twiddles to unsettle Lee. She also used her big forehand topspin to counter attack weak topspin shots from Lee, causing massive problems and thus taking the match.

“I am very satisfied with my start and am happy to get the win. I think I managed to create a lot of pressure by winning the first game 11-4, as the format means that every game and point is important. She came back well in the third game, but I am happy with the way I adapted and glad I could close out the match”, said Sabine.

Vitor Ishiy (Brazil) and Oh Junsung (Korea Republic) opened their campaigns with commanding straight-set wins over Finn Luu (Australia) and Dean Shu (New Zealand) respectively.

The Oceania representatives, who are also World Cup debutants, struggled to counter their opponents’ speed and power, succumbing to dominant rallies and consistent pressure.

Sreeja Akula ensured a happy day for the Indian contingent, as she won 3-1 (11-9, 11-4, 11-8, 6-11) against Constantina Psihogios, in a match that was closer than the score line suggests.

“Great start to my campaign and I am happy that I got the win. She (Constantina) played really well, her attacks were really spinny and I had to fight hard. It was my first match, so I took some time to settle into the conditions. I now look forward to my next match and will prepare”, said Sreeja.

Kanak Jha romped to a 4-0 (11-1, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3) win against familiar foe Horacio Cifuentes in a Pan American contest. Jha used his serves and counter attacks to great effect, never allowing Cifuentes to find any rhythm, securing the most lopsided of his victories against the experienced Argentine.

“I have a lot of respect for Horacio, we have played many times over the years. He can be extremely dangerous and I tried to keep my level up throughout the match as every point is important, especially in this format”, said Kanak.

In Group 2 of the Women’s singles, German stalwart Xiaona Shan and Swedish chopper Linda Bergstrom delivered a 2-2 stalemate (10-12, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8), marking the first draw of this year’s World Cup. Shan, seeking redemption after a 0-3 defeat to Bergstrom at the Singapore Smash 2025, squandered a 10-7 lead in the opening game to eventually go 0-2 down in the contest. However, she showcased remarkable resilience, mounting a spirited comeback to secure an evenly contested result.

Men’s singles has its first winner, with Polish teenager Milosz Redzimski eking out a 4-0 win against Hwan Bae (11-8, 15-13, 11-4, 11-9) in the opening fixture of Group 1. The match had some thrilling rallies, with both players managing to entertain the crowd with aggressive shots.