Chinese paddlers take opening wins at 2026 ITTF World Cup

China had a strong start at the 2026 International Table Tennis Federation Men's and Women's World Cup in Macao as all seven paddlers, including Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, claimed victories in the first round of the group stage on Monday.

Sun Yingsha competes during the women's singles group 1 match between Sun Yingsha of China and Li Yu-Jhun of Chinese Taipei at the ITTF Men's and Women's World Cup 2026 in Macao, China, March 30, 2026. (Xinhua/Yu Yang)

World No. 1 and defending champion Sun cruised to a 3-0 victory over Chinese Taipei's Li Yu-Jhun in their first-ever singles meeting.

"Li's serve has its own distinctive features, but I stuck to my usual rhythm in preparation and executed according to my tactics," Sun said after the match.

Wang dominated Portugal's Fu Yu 3-0, and her teammate Kuai Man edged past France's Charlotte Lutz 3-2.

"After Lutz fell 2-0 behind, she put me under a lot of pressure, particularly with the quality and variation in the first three shots," Kuai said, adding that she managed to settle down when trailing in the fifth game, and things improved afterwards.

In the men's draw, Eduard Ionescu of Romania defeated Australia's Finn Luu 3-1. Ionescu will face world No. 1 Wang Chuqin of China in Tuesday's match. Wang's compatriot Zhou Qihao overcame Japan's 16-year-old Ryuusei Kawakami 3-1. Sweden's Anton Kallberg swept Feng Yi-Hsin of Chinese Taipei 3-0.

A total of 48 players per event were divided into 16 groups of three, with the group winners advancing to the knockout stage.