ITTF Mens and Womens World Cup Macao 2025 Day 1 Live!
Written by I Dig Sports
The morning session of Day 1 concluded with a thrilling Mens 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.
Egyptian Hana Goda started her campaign with a fairly easy 4-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8) win against local hope Seak Hui Li.
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.
Shunsuke Togami and Han Ying cruised to dominant 4-0 victories over Ovidiu Ionescu and Maria Xiao respectively.
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 tournaments 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.
Egyptian legend Dina Meshref scored a resounding 3-1 (11-9, 11-9, 11-5, 6-11) victory over Zhu Chengzhu, getting her campaign off to a winning start in her 8th appearance at the ITTF World Cup.
Eugene Wang produced a stellar performance to produce the first surprise result of the tournament, as he drew 2-2 (4-11, 11-4, 11-7, 9-11) against fancied Yukiya Uda.
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 Udas timing, forcing him to play slower paced rallies more suited to Wangs 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 Womens 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 years 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.
Mens 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.
Manika Batra is the first winner of Day 1 as she gets off to a flying start, defeating Giret Maylis 4-0 (11-1, 11-2, 11-6, 11-4) in a Group 16 encounter.
I was well prepared for this match and felt very good. I tried to apply some of the tactics I plan to use against Bruna (Takahashi) in my next match and I feel confident, said Batra.
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