WTT Finals: China’s Wang Chuqin, Wang Manyu headline opening day as they defend crowns
Both will face Japanese opponents in round 1 while Hongkongers Wong Chun-ting, Doo Hoi-kem open mixed doubles campaign against top seeds
Reigning champions Wang Chuqin and Wang Manyu of China will highlight the opening-day fixtures of the WTT Finals on Wednesday as senior international table tennis action returns to Hong Kong after a six-year absence.
Women’s world No 2 Wang Manyu will face Miwa Harimoto of Japan in the second evening match, followed by men’s world No 1 Wang Chuqin taking on Sora Matsushima in another China v Japan tie at Hong Kong Coliseum.
Wang has never lost to world No 6 Harimoto in seven meetings, including beating the Japanese in straight games at the recent International Table Tennis Federation Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu. And there was not much to suggest Wednesday’s match would be much different.
Fellow Japanese Matsushima, however, will feel better about his chances after beating world champion Wang at the Asian Team Championships in India in October when they last met, though Wang leads their overall record 3-1.
In the penultimate match of the morning session, Zhu Yuling of Macau will look to defend her unbeaten record against Chen Yi, after coming out on top in all three meetings against the 21-year-old Chinese this year, including at the United States Smash final in Las Vegas in July when the former world No 1 marked her biggest triumph to date after returning from illness.