Liam Pitchford blitzed through his first-round match at the Paris Olympics today with an authoritative display against Fiji’s Vicky Wu.

Pitchford, making history as the first GB athlete to compete in table tennis at four Olympic Games, conceded only 14 points across four games against his teenaged opponent – who was himself notching a milestone first men’s singles appearance for his country.

The Chesterfield man won the first three points of the match to set the platform from which he pulled out to take the first game 11-6 on his second game point.

That turned out to be the closest game as Pitchford’s all-round play was simply too much for Wu to counter, with the youngster struggling with the GB athlete’s serves in particular.

Allied to his controlled short game and variety and power of shots when the rallies opened up – which was not often as the longest rally of the match was eight shots – it meant Pitchford was never threatened as he went on to complete a 4-0 (11-6, 11-3, 11-3, 11-2) triumph.

He next faces Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic in the last 32, in a rematch of their tie at the Tokyo Olympics, which the Slovenian won in six. The match has not yet been scheduled.