On April 15, Beijing time, the 2024 ITTF Singles World Cup kicked off at the Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. In the first round of the first group stage, 9 of the 11 Chinese players won comfortably, with only Lin Gaoyuan and Wang Chuqin drawing 2-2 with their opponents, and only Wang Yidi lost a game among the winners, and all the other players won 4-0.
The ITTF Macau Singles World Cup 2024 has a new format: in the group stage, players will be divided into 16 groups of 3 players in each group to play an intra-group round-robin match, and players from the same association cannot be in the same group. In the group stage, each match must be played in 4 games (there can be a draw), and the relationship between the players will determine their final standings, with the winners of each group advancing to the knockout stage.
In the women's match, Chen Meng defeated Poland's opponent Natalia Bayo 4-0, 11-4, 11-4, 11-1, 11-4 in four games. Wang Yidi lost a game against Hong Kong's Du Hoi Kim and won 3-1, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4. World No. 1 Sun Yingsha defeated Hong Kong's Zhu Chengzhu 4-0, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8, 11-3.
Wang Manyu defeated Romania's Adina Diaconu 4-0, 11-8, 11-4, 11-4, 11-2 in four games. Chen Xingtong also defeated Chinese Taipei's Liu Xinyin 4-0, with a score of 11-6 in all four games.
In the men's match, Malone defeated Australian teenager Aditya Salene, who is 15 years younger than him, 4-0, 11-4, 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 in four games. Defending champion Fan Zhendong also won the same score against Germany's Benedict Duda, 11-1, 11-9, 14-12, 11-9 in four games. Lin Shidong defeated Ecuador's Alberto Mino 4-0, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 in four games.
Lin couldn't get off to a good start as he drew 2-2 with Croatia's Tomislav Puka, 12-10, 11-7, 11-13, 8-11. Liang Jingkun swept past Australia's Lin Wenzheng 4-0, 11-2, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 in four games. World No. 1 Wang Chuqin was held to a 2-2 draw by South Korea's Ahn Jae-hyun, 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 8-11 in four games.