The ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup Macao 2024 is in full swing. Hosted at the state-of-the-art venue, Galaxy Arena, Macao, China from today, April 15th to Sunday, April 21st, this event marks the long-awaited return of the World Cup after a three-year hiatus. This exhilarating revival of the ITTF World Cups brings forth the 42nd and 25th editions of the Men’s & Women’s World Cup events, symbolising a rich legacy spanning over four decades.
With final-day tickets selling out in seconds, the fervour surrounding this event is undeniable. It Is a testament to the legacy of the World Cup and the immense anticipation and excitement among fans. Don’t miss out on all the action and stay updated with schedules and results here.
Who will be playing and who to watch out for?
With a new qualification system, this year we will see an expanded field of 48 players per event category compared to previous World Cups, setting the stage for an exciting return of the singles World Cup and promising more intense action than ever before. The full player list is available on the event page.
Here are some exciting names for you to look out for in the coming week.
The 2020 Men’s and Women’s World Cup champions will be returning to defend their titles, with Fan Zhendong aiming for a record-breaking fifth Men’s World Cup title and Chen Meng seeking to continue her streak with a second Women’s World Cup title.
Joining them are the current World No. 1’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha as well as the current World Youth Champions Lin Shidong and Kuai Man.
Included in the mix are several promising young talents ready to take the World Cup by storm, including France’s Felix Lebrun who has rapidly ascended the world rankings in the past year and Egypt’s Hana Goda who made headlines in 2022 after winning the ITTF African Cup at just 14 years of age. Read more here.
Draw Results
Yesterday’s draw ceremony unveiled the matchups for the ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup Macao 2024, setting the stage for intense battles ahead. From top seeds to rising stars, each player’s path to victory is now clear, promising thrilling encounters throughout the tournament.
What’s at stake?
On top of the prestigious Evans and Hammarlund Cup, there is a share of a USD 1,000,000 prize pool to be won. Find out more about the prize money here.
Players also have a chance to earn valuable ranking points. The winner claims 1500 points, with the runner-up receiving 1050 points. Semifinalists secure 525 points each, while quarterfinalists and round of 16 participants earn 265 and 130 points, respectively. These points play a crucial role on the road to Paris 2024, offering players a significant opportunity to bolster their rankings and boost their chances of qualifying for the Games.
New playing system and how many ranking points are up for grabs?
The tournament adopts a two-stage structure, initially dividing players into 16 groups of three in Stage 1. The top 4 seeds automatically fill Groups 1 to 4, while the remaining players are drawn into the groups. Matches in Stage 1 progress over four games, with results ranging from 4-0, 3-1 and 2-2. Today morning’s match between Dang Qiu and Ahmed Saleh ended in a 2-2 draw, marking the first international table tennis match to result in a draw. With final rankings determined solely by the ratios of wins to losses, in games then points, every point becomes crucial. The winner of each group secures a spot in Stage 2, which features a knockout draw. For more details about the new playing format, click here.
Where to Watch?
Catch the action live on ITTF’s YouTube account, and find out more about broadcast details here.
Credit: ITTF Media