Japan's 16-year-old prodigy Tomokazu Harimoto will start the defence of his ITTF Wolrd Tour Grand Finals title in China ©ITTF

The World Tour Grand Finals, which start tomorrow in Zhengzhou, China, will feature not just the finest table tennis players on the planet - including defending men's and women's champions Tomokazu Harimoto and Chen Meng - but also a new system of video reviewing.

The 34th edition of this four-day, flagship International Table Tennis Federation event will utlilise ball-tracking technology (TTR), offering video match officials instant replays of contentious points at the Zhengzhou Olympic Sports Center.

Officials will have the authority to overturn the original decision if necessary.

An ITTF release added: "TTR will be implemented by Chinese technology firm RigourTech, selected by the ITTF following a tender process in August 2019 and which has already conducted three successful days of behind-the-scenes tests at the 2019 ITTF Men's World Cup between November 29 to December 1 in Chengdu, China.

"Should the full-scale implementation at the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals prove successful, the ITTF will be looking to ensure that TTR features at more top-tier events in 2020."

Ball tracking technology (TTR) and video reviewing will make their official debut at the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals that start tomorrow in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou ©ITTF
Ball tracking technology (TTR) and video reviewing will make their official debut at the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals that start tomorrow in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou ©ITTF

Vicky Eleftheriade, the ITTF Competition Director, said: "The ITTF is constantly seeking ways to improve and modernise the sport of table tennis and we see TTR as one way of bringing about positive change, by providing a mechanism to help settle unclear cases which might have been interpreted incorrectly by umpires or the other way around; correctly interpreted by umpires but doubtful in players' perception. 

"If we are able to reduce the human error or uncertainty, which can naturally occur in all sports, through a fair, transparent and effective system, we believe this will benefit the players, fans and officials themselves, as has been achieved in a number of sports already.

"In this regard, we don't see why table tennis should be any different."

Japanese prodigy Harimoto became the youngest player to win this title last December, at the age of 15.

While Harimoto starts with a match against Germany's Patrick Franziska, home player Fan Zhendong, the 2017 winner, meets Germany's veteran Timo Boll, who won this event in 2005.

Xu Xin, the 2012 and 2013 winner, plays compatriot Zhao Zihao, and current world and Olympic champion Ma Long - who is seeking a sixth title - meets South Korea's Jeoung Youngsik.

The general picture is the same in the women's singles, where China's Chen Meng is seeking a third consecutive title and facing a field that contains her compatriots and predecessors as champion - Zhu Yuling, who won in 2016, and Rio 2016 champion Ding Ning, winner in 2015.

Home player Chen Meng will seek to compete a hat-trick of titles ©Getty Images
Home player Chen Meng will seek to compete a hat-trick of titles ©Getty Images

Also in the field is China’s Liu Shiwen, winner of this event in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games places will be on offer in the mixed doubles, with top seeds Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem of Hong Kong starting their campaign against Slovakians Lubomir Pistej and Barbora Balazova.

China’s world champion pairing of Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen face South Korea's teenage talents Cho Daeseong and Shin Yubin.

Japanese duo Mima Ito and Jun Mizutani are vying to earn their Olympic spot on home soil, when they meet France's Tristan Flore and Laura Gasnier.

Meanwhile, second seeds Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching of Chinese Taipei must navigate their way past Adam Szudi and Szandra Pergel of Hungary.