WTT Singapore Smash 2023 main draw preview: Full schedule and how to watch live
The main draw of the first table tennis Grand Smash of the year takes place from 11–19 March 2023. Here's who to keep an eye on and how you can watch the action.
Table Tennis
Strap into your seats, table tennis fans, and prepare yourselves for the first World Table Tennis Grand Smash of the season.
The Singapore Smash returns with the main draw tournament taking place from 11–19 March 2023 at the Singapore Sports Hub, with all of the world's best players in attendance – 19 of the world's top 20 men (minus the injured Timo Boll) and all of the top 20 women are due to participate.
Over the course of nine days, they will attempt to out-play each other to reach the final to not only clinch the crown, but also earn up to 2000 world ranking points and US$100,000 for the singles winners.
Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng from People's Republic of China are the defending men's and women's singles champions respectively.
Players to watch at WTT Singapore Smash 2023
On the men's side, Fan may be the world number 1 and the defending champion, but he will have a point to prove after being eliminated from WTT Star Contender Goa last week at the first hurdle.
Fan has now not made it past his opening match at his last two WTT tournaments, and on such a big stage as a Grand Smash he will not want to make it three in a row.
With the stacked line-up only missing Boll from the top 20, a lot of who progresses deep into the tournament will come down to who has the friendliest draw – with Fan potentially facing veteran German Dimitrij Ovtcharov in the quarter-finals.
Last year, Fan saw off compatriot Ma Long in the final. With Ma ranked world number two, a repeat of that clash is possible this season. There have also been stellar seasons notably from Truls Möregårdh, Darko Jorgic, and Dang Qiu leading the young European charge, in addition to Japan's Harimoto Tomokazu and Brazil's Hugo Calderano.
On the other hand, the women's draw could look slightly different to how last year's tournament shaped up. Defending champion Chen is world number 2 with teammate Sun Yingsha world number 1, just as things were heading into last year's tournament.
But Sun was eliminated last season in a seven-game semi-final thriller by Wang Manyu, who is once again in the same half of the draw this year and could set up a repeat clash in the last four.
Fourth seed Wang Yidi, meanwhile, enters the tournament on a high having won the Star Contender Goa and moved above Wang Manyu in the world rankings as a result. Watch out, too, for Japan's Hayata Hina, who could out-shine teammate Ito Mima to continue her rise up the rankings.
WTT Singapore Smash 2023: Full Schedule
Main draw only. Times listed are Singapore Standard Time (UTC +8 hours)
Saturday 11 March
- From 12:00 (tables 2&3): Men's singles round of 64, Women's singles round of 64, Mixed doubles round of 24
- From 13:00 (table 1): Men's singles round of 64, Women's singles round of 64, Mixed doubles round of 24
- From 18:00 (tables 2&3): Men's singles round of 64, Women's singles round of 64, Mixed doubles round of 24
- From 19:00 (table 1): Men's singles round of 64, Women's singles round of 64, Mixed doubles round of 24
Sunday 12 March
- From 12:00 (tables 2&3): Men's singles round of 64, Women's singles round of 64, Women's doubles round of 24, Men's doubles round of 24
- From 13:00 (table 1): Women's singles round of 64, Men's singles round of 64, Women's doubles round of 24
- From 18:00 (tables 2&3): Men's singles round of 64, Women's singles round of 64, Women's doubles round of 24, Men's doubles round of 24
- From 19:00 (table 1): Men's singles round of 64, Women's singles round of 64, Men's doubles round of 24
Monday 13 March
- From 12:30 (tables 2&3): Mixed doubles round of 16, Women's singles round of 32, Men's singles round of 32, Women's doubles round of 24, Men's doubles round of 24
- From 13:00 (table 1): Women's singles round of 32, Men's singles round of 32, Women's doubles round of 24
- From 18:30 (tables 2&3): Mixed doubles round of 16, Women's singles round of 32, Men's singles round of 32, Women's doubles round of 24, Men's doubles round of 24
- From 19:00 (table 1): Men's singles round of 32, Women's singles round of 32, Men's doubles round of 24
Tuesday 14 March
- From 12:30 (tables 2&3): Mixed doubles quarter-finals, Women's doubles round of 16, Men's doubles round of 16, Women's singles round of 32, Men's singles round of 32
- From 13:00 (table 1): Women's singles round of 32, Men's singles round of 32, Mixed doubles quarter-finals
- From 18:30 (tables 2&3): Mixed doubles quarter-finals, Women's doubles round of 16, Men's doubles round of 16, Women's singles round of 32, Men's singles round of 32
- From 19:00 (table 1): Men's singles round of 32, Women's singles round of 32, Mixed doubles quarter-finals
Wednesday 15 March
- From 13:00 (table 1): Men's doubles round of 16, Women's singles round of 16, Men's singles round of 16, Mixed doubles semi-finals
- From 18:30 (tables 2&3): Men's doubles round of 16, Women's doubles round of 16, Men's singles round of 16, Women's singles round of 16
- From 19:00 (table 1): Women's doubles round of 16, Men's singles round of 16, Women's singles round of 16, Mixed doubles semi-finals
Thursday 16 March
- From 13:00 (table 1): Men's singles round of 16, Women's singles round of 16, Mixed doubles final
- From 18:30 (tables 2&3): Women's doubles quarter-finals, Men's doubles quarter-finals
- From 19:00 (table 1): Men's singles round of 16, Women's singles round of 16
Friday 17 March
- From 14:00 (table 1): Women's singles quarter-finals, Men's singles quarter-finals
- From 18:30 (table 2): Men's doubles semi-finals, Women's doubles semi-finals
- From 19:00 (table 1): Women's singles quarter-finals, Men's singles quarter-finals
Saturday 18 March (single table)
- From 14:00: Men's doubles final, Women's singles semi-finals
- From 19:00: Men's singles semi-finals, Women's doubles final
Sunday 19 March (single table)
- From 19:00: Women's singles final, Men's singles final
How to watch table tennis Singapore Smash 2023 main draw
All the action can be watched live on the World Table Tennis YouTube channel as well as the WTT website.
In mainland China, CCTV5 will broadcast the action; in Japan, it is available on TV Tokyo; and across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong China, Macao China, Mongolia, and Republic of Korea, the tournament is on SPOTV Now.
ESPN will telecast the action in Latin America and the Caribbean, Eurosport in India, Supersport across Africa, and Sport Klub in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Poland.