title: 1997 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's singles
text: # 1997 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's singles
  
  The 1997 World Table Tennis Championships men's singles was the 44th edition of the men's singles championship.
  
  Jan-Ove Waldner defeated Vladimir Samsonov in the final, winning three sets to nil to secure the title.
  
  ## Results
  
  | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Kong Linghui | 21 | 22 | 17 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | Werner Schlager | 16 | 20 | 21 | 18 | | Kong Linghui | 16 | 22 | 14 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | |
  | Ma Wenge | 21 | 21 | 17 | 21 | | Ma Wenge | 21 | 20 | 21 | 15 | 12 | | | | | | | | | |
  | Hiroshi Shibutani | 19 | 17 | 21 | 17 | | | | | | | | Kong Linghui | 15 | 18 | 21 | 17 | | | | |
  | Ding Song | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | Samsonov | 21 | 21 | 17 | 21 | | | | |
  | Milan Grman | 19 | 14 | 9 | | | Ding Song | 13 | 9 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | Wang Liqin | 16 | 21 | 22 | 19 | | Samsonov | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | Vladimir Samsonov | 21 | 10 | 24 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Samsonov | 12 | 17 | 13 |
  | He Zhiwen | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Waldner | 21 | 21 | 21 |
  | Lucjan Błaszczyk | 12 | 18 | 16 | | | He Zhiwen | 19 | 21 | 13 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | Johnny Huang | 17 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 18 | Yan Sen | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | Yan Sen | 21 | 20 | 16 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | Yan Sen | 17 | 14 | 12 | | | | | |
  | Wang Tao | 19 | 17 | 17 | | | | | | | | | Waldner | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | |
  | Jean-Philippe Gatien | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | Gatien | 7 | 20 | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | Zoran Primorac | 16 | 13 | 13 | | | Waldner | 21 | 22 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | Jan-Ove Waldner | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  