Daijiworld Media Network - Beijing
Beijing, Jan 10: China’s table tennis supremacy was on full display on Saturday as world No. 1 players Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha headlined the official entry list for the 2026 World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash, while Chinese paddlers also delivered strong performances at the ongoing WTT Champions Doha.
In the men’s singles, Wang Chuqin features among the top five contenders alongside fellow Chinese star Lin Shidong, Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, and Sweden’s Truls Moregard. The women’s singles draw is even more China-heavy, with Sun Yingsha leading an all-Chinese top five that includes Wang Manyu, Kuai Man, Chen Xingtong and Wang Yidi.
China will field a deep squad at the Singapore event. In the men’s category, Liang Jingkun, Xiang Peng, Chen Yuanyu, Zhou Qihao and Chen Junsong will join the main draw, while Chen Yi, Shi Xunyao and He Zhuojia will compete on the women’s side.
The Singapore Smash, the first WTT Grand Smash tournament of the season, is scheduled from February 19 to March 1 and will offer 2,000 world ranking points, making it one of the most significant events on the international calendar.
Meanwhile, action at the WTT Champions Doha saw China’s top seed Lin Shidong battle his way into the men’s singles quarterfinals after edging Germany’s Benedikt Duda in a tense five-game encounter. After dropping the opening game 11-8, Lin responded with wins of 11-6 and 11-8 before Duda forced a decider. The world No. 2 held his nerve to clinch the final game 11-6.
“It was a tough match. I was prepared for the difficulties and managed to keep a good mindset throughout,” Lin said after the win.
Liang Jingkun secured a straight-game victory over compatriot Chen Yuanyu, winning 11-7, 11-3, 11-7, to set up an all-Chinese quarterfinal clash with Lin. However, Zhou Qihao bowed out after losing in four games to Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto.
In the women’s singles, top seed Wang Manyu cruised into the quarterfinals with a commanding 11-4, 12-10, 11-6 win over France’s Prithika Pavade. Despite the clean sweep, Wang admitted there was room for improvement.
“Even though it was 3-0, I didn’t handle some key moments well, especially when I lost several points in a row after leading in the second game. That’s something I need to correct,” she said.
Wang’s teammates Kuai Man, Chen Xingtong and Wang Yidi also advanced comfortably. The lone setback for the Chinese women came when Chen Yi squandered a two-game lead and went down 4-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-5 to Germany’s experienced campaigner Han Ying.
With Chinese players dominating both upcoming entries and current competition, the road to the podium at the season’s biggest WTT events once again appears firmly under China’s control.