Liang Jingkun has withdrawn from WTT Contender Istanbul, which starts on Tuesday. WTT's updated entry list, published on Monday, removed him from the men's singles and the men's doubles, where he was due to partner Yuan Licen. No reason was given.
Chen Junsong takes Liang's place in the men's singles main draw. Liang's only tournament since his return from months out was WTT Champions Frankfurt, where he came in as a late replacement and lost 3-2 to Hugo Calderano in the first round after 52 minutes.
Chinese reports said fans linked the decision to preparations for the Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu, which starts on 29 November, but no explanation has come from Liang, the Chinese team or WTT.
China's entry in Istanbul is made up of younger players. Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu were among those who did not enter. Istanbul, which hosts the European Games next summer, is worth 400 ranking points to the singles winners, and the event runs until Sunday.
Liang was not named in China's eight-player squad for the Mixed Team World Cup, which the Chinese Table Tennis Association announced on Tuesday.
