MACAO, China, April 2 (Xinhua) -- World No. 1 Sun Yingsha of China edged compatriot Kuai Man 4-2 in a dramatic all-Chinese clash, while Wang Manyu produced a 4-0 victory over Japan's Mima Ito in the women's singles knockout stage at the 2026 ITTF Men's and Women's World Cup in Macao, China on Thursday.
Sun, who lost to Kuai in quarterfinals at WTT Champions Chongqing in March, showed her strength here, but only after a fierce six-game battle.
Kuai took the opening game 11-9, but Sun responded emphatically in the second, racing to a 3-0 and then 10-4 lead before leveling the match 11-4.
The third game proved a key momentum swing as Kuai again pulled ahead. Sun led 8-6, but Kuai fought back, saving a game point at 9-10 and edging it 12-10 to move 2-1 up. Under pressure in the fourth, Sun was locked at 4-4, 6-6, 8-8 and 10-10, but she held her nerve to take it 12-10 and square the match again.
In the fifth, Sun pulled away from 3-3 to close out the game 11-6 for a 3-2 lead. The sixth was another rollercoaster. Sun fell behind 2-7, then trailed 4-8 before staging a comeback, leveling at 8-8 and again at 9-9 and 10-10, before finally sealing the victory 13-11 for a 4-2 win.
"It really feels like fate that I played Kuai Man in the final here last year, and this time we met again in the very first match of the knockout stage," Sun said, who beat Kuai in the Macao World Cup final last year and retained her title. "Although I was lucky enough to win in the end, I think Kuai's overall performance today was excellent. In recent years everyone has seen how her overall level and the quality of her play have been improving step by step."
Earlier, world No. 2 Wang Manyu of China delivered a commanding 4-0 win over long-time Japanese rival Mima Ito.
Wang made a slow start in the opening game, falling behind 0-5 and 0-6, but gradually settled, narrowing the gap from 1-6 to 6-8 and then overturning an 8-9 deficit to steal it 11-9. She carried that momentum into the second, taking control for an 11-6 win.
The Chinese star tightened her grip in the third, pulling away from 4-2 to 10-5 before closing it out 11-5, and she dominated the fourth 11-3 after surging ahead 5-1 and never allowing Ito back into contention.
"Our preparation time for this match was actually quite tight, but Ito is a very familiar old opponent for me, so in terms of tactics I know her game quite well and we were well prepared," Wang said. "The most important thing today was my performance and execution. Winning the first game from 0-6 down was really crucial."
China's Wang Yidi also advanced with a 4-1 victory over Japan's Miwa Harimoto. Wang took the first three tight games 11-7, 11-9 and 12-10, lost the fourth 11-9, but closed out the match 11-8 in the fifth.
There was disappointment for China's Qin Yuxuan, who fell 4-1 to Germany's Sabine Winter. Qin took the opening game 11-9, but Winter turned the match around to win the next four 11-5, 11-6, 11-6, 11-8.
In the men's round of 16, Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto edged Germany's Dang Qiu 4-3 in a thriller, prevailing 11-13, 8-11, 12-10, 13-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6. Harimoto's compatriot Sora Matsushima defeated South Korea's Jang Woo-jin 4-1 (11-13, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10, 11-8), while Sweden's Truls Moregard swept Germany's Patrick Franziska 4-0 (13-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-4).
China's star paddler Wang Chuqin will take on Felix Lebrun of France in the round of 16 on Friday while Wen Ruibo will meet Lin Yun-Ju of Chinese Taipei.
The 2026 ITTF Men's and Women's World Cup runs from March 30 to April 5 in Macao. ■
