Singapore – World No. 1 men’s singles table tennis player Wang Chuqin of China kicked off the Year of the Snake in style, securing a decisive 3-0 victory over Japan’s Yukiya Uda in the first round of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash on Sunday.
The match began with unexpected intensity as Uda surged ahead to a 9-6 lead. Demonstrating composure and skill, Wang rallied to level the score at 9-9 before clinching two consecutive points to take the first game.
In the second game, Wang established an early advantage, maintaining momentum to claim the frame 11-5. Uda battled valiantly in the third game, keeping the score tight until Wang, holding a 10-9 lead, sealed the match with a powerful smash. Wang is set to face Singaporean wild-card entrant Koen Pang in the next round.
Joining Wang in the second round are fellow Chinese players Huang Youzheng and Chen Yuanyu. Qualifier Huang overcame Iran’s Noshad Alamian with scores of 14-12, 12-10, 11-4, setting up a clash with Germany’s No. 8 seed Patrick Franziska. Chen defeated Paraguay’s Marcelo Aguirre 11-7, 11-7, 2-11, 11-6 and will meet South Korea’s 12th seed Jang Woo-jin in the upcoming match.
On the women’s side, China’s No. 4 seed Chen Xingtong cruised past Lam Yee Lok of Hong Kong, China, securing an 11-3, 11-7, 11-3 victory. Second-seeded Wang Manyu defeated Egypt’s Dina Meshref 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 to advance. Additionally, No. 15 seed Kuai Man overcame Portugal’s Fu Yu with scores of 11-6, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7.
