The Chinese player, who has won three World Championship gold medals across team and doubles events, is the top seed at the Trans Stadia with more illustrious colleagues absent.

These include Olympic singles champion Ma Long and Olympic team gold medallist Xu Xin, who have both won the Asian Cup on four occasions.

No former champions are in the men's field which guarantees a new name on the trophy.

Japan's Jun Mizutani, the Asian Cup bronze medallist in 2014 and 2015, will also hope to challenge, with Hong Kong's Wong Chun Ting, Japan's Koki Niwa and South Korea's Lee Sangsu also in the frame.

In the women's competition, two Chinese players look set to battle for honours.

These are second seed Liu Shiwen, a team Olympic champion at Rio 2016 who is looking for a fifth Asian Cup title.

The top seed, Zhu Yuling, is a triple world champion searching for her maiden victory at the tournament.

Competition will begin tomorrow with the group stage and conclude on Sunday (September 17).