Egyptian table tennis star Dina Meshref has made history at WTT Champions Macao 2026, defeating China’s Wang Yidi, the world No. 5, to record one of the biggest victories of her career.
Meshref, ranked No. 35 in the world at the tournament, stunned Wang 3-1 in the women’s singles round of 32, becoming the first Egyptian female player to defeat an opponent ranked inside the world’s top 10.
The victory was not the end of her run. Meshref followed it by defeating American Lily Zhang in straight games to advance to the quarterfinals of WTT Champions Macao for the first time in her career.
Dina Meshref Defeats World No. 5 Wang Yidi
Meshref entered the opening-round match as the clear underdog against one of China’s leading players.
Instead, the Egyptian quickly took control.
She won the opening two games 11-7, 11-7, putting Wang under immediate pressure. The Chinese star responded by taking the third 11-9, but Meshref refused to allow the comeback to build momentum.
She closed out the fourth game 11-7, completing a 3-1 victory and eliminating Wang from the competition. The official Macao tournament report confirmed the result as 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 7-11 from Wang’s perspective.
A Historic First for Egyptian Women’s Table Tennis
What made the result particularly significant was Wang’s ranking.
Wang entered the tournament as the world No. 5, while Meshref was ranked No. 35.
Egyptian sports authorities and local reports described the victory as the first time an Egyptian female table tennis player had beaten a player ranked among the world’s top 10.
Some reports went even further, noting that it was also the first Egyptian women’s victory against a top-five player.
That distinction makes the headline more accurate than saying it was necessarily Egypt’s first-ever top-10 victory across both men’s and women’s table tennis.
Meshref Had Already Beaten Another Chinese Player in 2026
The result was not Meshref’s first major victory against Chinese opposition this season.
Earlier in 2026, she defeated Shi Xunyao, who was ranked No. 14 in the world at the time, at the United States Smash.
Following her victory over Wang, Meshref said the result meant even more because it represented another breakthrough against a Chinese player within only a few months.
China has historically dominated international women’s table tennis, making victories over its highest-ranked players particularly significant.
A Sportsmanship Moment During the Historic Match
Meshref also attracted attention for something that happened away from the final score.
During the match, officials initially made a call that would have benefited Meshref, but the Egyptian player reportedly told the umpire that the point should instead go to Wang.
A video review subsequently confirmed Meshref’s position.
The moment circulated widely on Egyptian social media, adding a sportsmanship angle to what was already a landmark sporting result.
Meshref Beats Lily Zhang to Reach the Quarterfinals
Meshref carried the momentum into the round of 16.
Facing American player Lily Zhang, she produced an even more convincing performance, winning 3-0.
Meshref took the three games 11-8, 11-3 and 17-15, surviving a tense final game to secure her place among the final eight.
The result sent her into the quarterfinals of a WTT Champions event for the first time in her career.
Another Chinese Star Awaits in the Quarterfinals
Meshref’s reward for her run is another major challenge.
She is scheduled to face China’s Chen Xingtong in the quarterfinals on September 12.
Chen reached the last eight after surviving a close five-game battle against Meshref’s Egyptian teammate Hana Goda, winning 3-2.
The quarterfinal gives Meshref another opportunity to test herself against one of the strongest players in world table tennis and potentially extend what has already become a historic tournament.
One of Dina Meshref’s Biggest Career Wins
Meshref has represented Egypt at multiple Olympic Games and reached a career-high world ranking of No. 21 in 2023. Official ITTF records list 17 senior singles titles across her career.
But defeating a current world No. 5 gives the Macao result a different significance.
It was not simply another tournament victory. It showed an Egyptian player competing successfully against the very top level of a sport traditionally dominated by Asian powers.
And with her run continuing into the quarterfinals, Dina Meshref’s historic win over Wang Yidi may end up being only one chapter of a much bigger week for Egyptian table tennis.
