World No. 1 Wang Hao of China defeated Austria's Werner Schalger in his opening match Friday at the 29th table tennis men's World Cup in Liege, Belgium.

Wang, the silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics, took 40 minutes to win the Group A game 13-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-3, 8-11, 11-8.

Ma Long, ranked third in the world, is the other Chinese among the 16 players at the three-day tournament. He is to take on Denmarks' Michael Maze later Friday in Group B which also includes South Korea's Joo Se Hyuk and Trent Carter of Austrilia.

Li Ching from Hong Kong of China, South Korea's Seung Min Ryu, Belgium's Jean-Michel Saive, together with Germany's Dimitrij, are in Group D.

Timo Boll of Germany is in Group C with Singapore's Gao Ning, Kalinikos Kreanga of Greece and Nigeria's Segun Toriola.

The World Cup is the first event after the ban on the use of speed glue took effect.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2008)