China's Wang dominates Pucar to advance unscathed in ITTF World Cup

China's world No. 2 Wang Chuqin showcased his formidable skills by mauling Croatia's Tomislav Pucar in the final match of Group 2, securing a spot in the main draw of the ITTF World Cup in Macao.

Wang started the match with tremendous energy, winning the first two games with scores of 11-3 and 11-5, highlighted by a stunning backhand winner. Having lost to Pucar in their only previous encounter in 2019, Wang was determined to turn the tables. He continued his momentum into the third game, clinching it 11-8, and then dominated the fourth game with an impressive 11-1 finish, resulting in a clean 4-0 victory.

With this triumph, Wang became the only Chinese player to reach the last 16 without dropping a single game, setting up a match against the USA's Kanak Jha next.

In Group 1, world No. 1 Lin Shidong beat Poland's Milosz Redzimski, extending his head-to-head lead to 2-0. Lin faced a challenge when Redzimski took the first game 11-8, but the Chinese star quickly rebounded, winning the next two games 11-2 and 11-4. Lin then dominated the fourth game 11-1, securing a 3-1 victory and advancing to the last 16, where he will face Sweden's Anton Kallberg.

On the women's side, China's Sun Yingsha edged Chinese Taipei's Chien Tung-Chuan 3-1 to finish atop her group and advance to the last 16. Sun began strong, taking the first game 11-6 and leading 6-2 in the second before winning it 11-3. After a tightly contested third game that was tied at five, Sun prevailed 11-5. Although Chien managed to win the fourth game 11-7, Sun's overall victory secured her place in the next round.

Meanwhile, China's Wang Yidi triumphed over Portugal's Shao Jieni with a commanding 4-0 win, taking the games 11-9, 11-2, 11-3, and 11-7. However, Wang's earlier loss to France's Yuan Jianan meant she would not advance to the last 16.