Jieni Shao kicked off her campaign at the Macau World Table Tennis Cup with a nail-biting 2-2 draw against France’s Yuan Jia Nan. The match lasted 35 minutes, with Shao, ranked 50th in the world, trading blows with her opponent, who sits at 45th.
Shao took the first set 11-7, but Jia Nan fought back to win the second 11-8. The Portuguese Olympian regained her footing in the third set, notching another 11-7 win. Jia Nan wasn’t done yet, however, closing out the fourth set 11-9 in a tense finish.
Shao’s next challenge comes on Wednesday when she faces China’s Wang Yidi, the world’s third-ranked player. The stakes are high – only the winner of each group advances.
Group Stage Format
The competition is structured around a group stage, where players are divided into groups and compete against each other. Key points to note:
- The winner of each group advances to the next stage.
- Other players are eliminated based on their group standings.