Mima Ito (Photo ITTF)
The ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup 2026 opened at the iconic Galaxy Arena in Macao, as the world’s finest players launched their pursuit of one of the table tennis’s most coveted titles.
The women’s draw got underway with an eye-catching contest in Group 8, as Japan’s Mima Ito found herself in unexpectedly choppy waters against Canada’s Mo Zhang. Ito, the No.8 seed, was pushed to the limit before eventually prevailing 12-10, 10-12, 11-13, 11-4, 11-4.
The opening three games were a gripping battle of nerves, each going to deuce with Zhang seized the momentum in the third to move ahead 2-1. But Ito, showing the resilience that has defined her career, regrouped and took the fourth and fifth games to bank a crucial opening win.
China’s Kuai Man faced her own test in Group 7, where France’s Charlotte Lutz proved a more stubborn opponent than one would have anticipated. Kuai raced to a 2-0 lead, but Lutz refused to fold, winning back-to-back games to level the match and set up for a decider.
Kuai steadied at the right moment, controlling the fifth game to close out a hard-earned 11-2, 11-6, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8 victory and keep her campaign on track.
One of the day’s most poignant storylines came from New Zealand’s Li Chun Li, Macao’s oldest competitor and a player whose World Cup journey started all the way back in 1998 at Taipei. The veteran showed she still belongs on the world stage, taking the first game against France’s Jia Nan Yuan before the latter found her footing and gradually took control of the match. Yuan’s composed and strategic play ultimately proved too consistent, claiming a 11-13, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 win but not before Chun Li gave the crowd a show.
If the women’s draw provided drama, the men’s singles delivered it in abundance. In this centenary year of the ITTF, The opening day was defined by a string of upsets, and three players making their men’s singles World Cup debut were at the very centre of it.
South Korea’s Park Ganghyeon and Romania’s Eduard Ionescu could hardly have scripted better starts to their singles World Cup careers.
Ganghyeon was authoritative in Group 2, producing a precise display to defeat India’s Manav Thakkar 11-7, 11-6, 11-8 without ever looking troubled.
Ionescu was equally impressive in Group 1, dispatching Australia’s Finn Luu 11-8, 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 with a dominant performance. Two debuts and two convincing wins, and their hard work is only just beginning. Both players face stiff tests tomorrow, with Ganghyeon set to take on second seed Truls Moregard and Ionescu lining up against the top ranked player, Wang Chuqin.
Poland’s Milosz Redzimski rounded out memorable day 1, defeating Australia’s Nicholas Lum 7-11, 11-4, 11-3, 12-10 in Group 4. Lum drew first blood and showed plenty of fight throughout, but Redzimski remained dominant stronger as the match wore on and sealed the deal with a composed in a tight deuce battle in the fourth game to complete a well-deserved win.
But if there was one result that summed up the day, it was the match that closed the evening. Hong Kong’s Lam Siu Hang saved the biggest upset for last, defeating America’s Kanak Jha 11-6, 11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 11-6 in a match that swung between them dramatically before Siu Hang ultimately held his nerve in the deciding set.
The debutant came out firing, building a commanding 2-0 lead and looking every bit in control of the contest. Jha, a seasoned World Cup player, refused to go quietly and clawed back to level at 2-2. But Siu Hang never let the momentum fully slip away powering through the fifth game 11-6 to seal a stunning win and cap a remarkable day for the tournament’s newcomers.
