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In the final match of Day 2, Hugo Calderano got past Japanese southpaw Yukiya Uda with a 3-1 (11-6, 11-7, 11-6, 11-13) score line.
The ‘Thrill from Brazil’ lived up to his moniker, using the full area of the arena to retrieve Uda’s attacking shots from away the table. Uda looked taken aback on most occasions by Calderano’s dexterity, failing to close out rallies where he had the advantage, and such lapses were duly punished by Calderano.
“I feel great to have started this tournament with a win. He (Uda) is a really strong player, very aggressive on his serves and receives. I hope to do well in this tournament, I think I am an experienced player now and am feeling good”.
World Number 1 and defending champion Sun Yingsha began her campaign on expected lines, brushing aside Canadian Zhang Mo in emphatic fashion.
As thousands of fans roared ‘Sun Yingsha Jiayou’, she put up a show worthy of the support, winning in four straight games in quick time.
The final score line read – 11-4, 11-6, 11-3, 11-1.
Adriana Diaz got off to a terrific start to her World Cup journey, beating Frenchwoman Prithika Pavade 3-1 (11-9, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6).
Diaz, despite having a tough opening fixture, played with a sense of freedom. She was relaxed and focused, showcasing exemplary movement and composure to stave off Pavade’s challenge.
“A very difficult match for me, as she (Pavade) is a leftie and can make her opponent quite uncomfortable. So I am happy to get the win”, reflected Diaz.
Diaz was seen using her forehand a lot more, stepping around on her backhand side to hit a strong forehand quite often. On being asked about the same, Adriana said, “I am consciously trying to incorporate more forehand in my game, as I think I can be quite strong if I do that. I have been practicing that, and am glad to be able to implement it”.
Liang Jingkun made a strong statement to win 3-1 (11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7) against Wong Chun Ting (Hong Kong, China).
On a day where Chinese stars have struggled, World No. 4 Jingkun stood out as the standout performer amongst his compatriots. He managed to hold his ground against an inspired Ting to ensure a positive start to his campaign.
Jingkun has consistently navigated deep runs in major tournaments, yet a first major title remains elusive. With this win, he will hope to capitalize on the momentum and add a World Cup to his trophy cabinet.
Manyu Wang won a thriller against Linda Bergstrom to begin her World Cup with a win.
Wang, a former world singles champion, was pushed to the limit by the Swedish chopper. Bergstrom was a constant thorn in Wang’s side with some exceptional defensive play, with quite a few rallies in the match going beyond fifteen shots.
Bergstrom had an opportunity to draw level with a 10-7 advantage in the fourth game. However, she was unable to maintain her lead as Wang, bolstered by raucous crowd support, surged ahead to win five consecutive points and seal the victory.
The final score line (in Wang’s favour) read – 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10.
In another big European clash, Paris Olympics bronze medalist Felix Lebrun fought hard to win 3-1 (11-6, 6-11, 15-13, 11-7) against Anders Lind.
Although Lebrun did not appear to be at his peak, he demonstrated remarkable mental resilience by elevating his performance when it mattered most. His ability to execute some of his finest shots during the match’s decisive moments helped him take the match.
Lebrun in his post match interview said, “I am really happy to win this match, especially because every game counts in this format. A 2-2 draw would have made it really difficult in my next match, as Feng Yi-Hsin already won yesterday. Feng is a really good player. We have never played each other before, so it will be exciting and I hope to win”
Patrick Franziska and Alvaro Robles played out a topsy-turvy 2-2 draw in their Group 7 encounter.
Franziska started well to win the first game 11-7, but could only manage a total of 7 points combined in the next two games as Robles hit top form. Staring down the barrel in the fourth game, trailing 3-7, Patrick managed to come back late, winning the fourth game 11-9 and thus securing the draw.
This result sets the stage for a formidable challenge for Franziska in his next matchup against Simon Gauzy, who currently leads the group with three wins and only one loss. With Gauzy in strong form, tomorrow’s encounter promises to be a pivotal contest for all involved.
The afternoon session of Day 2 begins with a bang!
Jia Nan Yuan shocks World No. 3 Yidi Wang 3-1 (2-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8) in the biggest upset of the tournament yet!
After being blown away in the first game, Yuan made an incredible comeback to take the next three games in a tightly fought contest.
Yuan, who uses a ‘short pimple’ rubber on her forehand, used it to great effect, attacking from close to the table to cause major problems to Wang. This forced Wang to play more to Yuan’s backhand, falling right into her trap. Yuan then used her backhand to run Wang around the table with skilled placements, and kept mixing up the spin on the ball to keep her guessing. Despite trailing 0-4 in the fourth game, Yuan showcased great composure to hold on to the win.
In the post match interview, Yuan said, “It is an unbelievable win for me. We last played in 2022, where I lost 1-3. I lost the first game very quickly as well this time around. But at the start of the second game, I tried to reset myself to only focus on each single point and not think too far ahead, which helped me win the second game. Only when I won the third game, I got a sense of belief that I could go on to win the whole match”.
Yuan’s victory throws Group 3 wide open, with all three players still holding a chance of qualifying to Stage 2. She promised to closely watch Yidi Wang take on Shao Jieni, with the outcome of that match set to decide the fate of all three players.
Wang Chuqin was the latest seed to join the ‘nervous starter’ list, grafting his way to a 4-0 (12-10, 12-10, 11-8, 11-5) win against Aussie teen Aditya Sareen.
Despite the heartbreak of not converting a game point in the first match and watching the second slip away at deuce, Sareen can still take pride in his spirited performance. He repeatedly forced Chuqin onto the backfoot with his speed changes, inducing unforced errors. The match was a great indicator of Sareen’s potential, and the youngster will walk away richer from this experience.
Chuqin, though struggling, did well to keep his focus, and used his experience to pull through the big points, thus starting with a straight set win.
Egyptian legend Omar Assar brought all his experience to the fore, kickstarting his World Cup run with a strong 4-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5) win against fellow African Ylane Batix.
Assar, making his fifth World Cup appearance, quickly settled into a strong rhythm. He started aggressively and maintained relentless momentum, effectively countering the tactical variations thrown at him by Batix. Utilizing a ‘long pimple’ rubber on his backhand, Batix employed a blend of chopping from behind the table and close-range blocking—tactics that Assar navigated with smart, adaptable play.
“First match is always the hardest, but I am glad I played in a strong and decisive manner. I know him (Batix) very well, so knew it would be a good match. It was a challenging match to prepare for as well, and I trained with Manika Batra earlier because she has a similar style of play from her backhand side. I am happy that my preparation worked”, said Assar.
World No. 7 Kuai Man got over the line against Zhu Chengzhu in her opening fixture, winning 3-1 (11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-5).
Man, making her second appearance at the World Cup, enjoyed a strong start, racing to a 2-0 lead. A lapse in focus cost her third game, but that only proved to be a blip in an otherwise flawless performance.
With this win, Man maintains her 100% win record against Chengzhu, extending her dominance in this matchup.
Lin Gaoyuan began his campaign with a shaky 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8) win against Ovidiu Ionescu.
The ‘Dark Knight’, as he is popularly known amongst fans, had to dig deep after finding himself in all sorts of trouble at 1-1, with the experienced Ionescu targeting his midsection repeatedly to great effect.
However, Gaoyuan managed to use his serves to great effect, using them as a setup to target Ionescu’s wide forehand side and eventually sealing a win amidst roars of encouragement from the crowd.
Japanese sensation Miwa Harimoto joins her sibling Tomokazu in the winning column, winning comfortably against Mariam Alhodaby.
Despite a spirited showing from Mariam, Harimoto proved too strong and consistent, with the final score line being 4-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-5, 11-3)
Tomokazu Harimoto, in front a raucous crowd, put on a blitzkrieg performance, blazing past Mohamed Elbeiali 4-0, including a ‘bagel’ in the second game.
Harimoto did not hold back anything in his arsenal, as Elbeiali managed to win only a total of 11 points in four games. The final scoreline was 11-6, 11-0, 11-4, 11-1.
Bruna Takahashi and Bernadette Szocs also got off to winning starts, winning both their matches 4-0.
Bruna breezed past Giret Maylis 11-6, 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 in a highly uneven contest.
“It was nice to get off to a good start, and am glad to win 4-0. I am still very much getting used to the hall and conditions. I will work with my coach to prepare for my next match against Manika Batra. She has a different style of play (long pimpled backhand rubber), and I will need to play a lot more balls on the table”, reflected Takahashi.
Bernadette had a more competitive encounter, winning 11-6, 11-1, 12-10, 11-3 against upcoming teenager Constantina Psihogios.
“I was highly focused as it was my first match. She (Constantina) is a young player with a bright future, so I was mentally prepared. I love being here in Macau, and will keep trying to give my best. I had to fight really hard in the third game, as my opponent played her best. I was down a few game points but wanted to win 4-0, so kept fighting and managed to win” , said Szocs.
Coincidentally, both Takahashi and Szocs take on Indian opponents in their next matches, facing Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula respectively for a place in the knockouts.
World No. 4 Chen Xingtong overcame a significant scare to secure a 3-1 win (9-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-8) against Lee Eunhye.
In her first match of this year’s World Cup, Xingtong got off to a shaky start, dropping the first game before dominating the next two. She found herself trailing 6-8 in the fourth game—with a 2-2 standstill favoring Sabine Winter’s group qualification— but she regrouped quickly. Energized by crowd support and using her consistent stroke play, Xingtong clinched five consecutive points to wrap up the match.
Jang Woojin began his campaign with a nervy 4-0 (11-8, 12-10, 11-9, 11-6) win over Eric Jouti.
Jouti managed to cause a few problems, even leading 10-6 in the second game, but Woojin dug deep to eventually find some rhythm and close out the match.
Satsuki Odo gets Day 2 off to a flyer, with a solid performance to defeat Maria Xiao 4-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-4, 11-2).
Day 2 of the ITTF World Cup is set to kick off at 09:30 CST, as the excitement builds further for Stage 1 (group stages of the tournament).
Day 2 sees the Top 16 seeds entering the fray in both the Men’s and Women’s singles. Kicking off the session, Jang Woojin (World Rank 12) is set to challenge Eric Jouti, while Satsuki Odo (World Rank 8) will take on Maria Xiao.
