| Date | 18 – 22 August 2008 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Beijing Daxue Tiyuguan, Beijing | |
| Participants | 77 from 42 countries | |
| Format | Single-elimination tournament. Top 16 seeds advanced to round three. Seeds 17-32 advanced to round two. | |
Chinese women were seeded 1-2-3, and all three made the podium, the same result as in the men’s singles. The gold medal was won by the defending champion, Zhang Yining, in five games over the 2000 gold medalist, Wang Nan. The bronze went to Guo Yue, who defeated former Chinese player Li Jia Wei, now representing Singapore. Li had also finished fourth in 2004. All eight quarter-finalists had been born in China.
| Date | 18 August 2008 |
|---|---|
| Format | Winner of each match advanced to round one. |
| Match | Date/Time | Competitor | NOC | Result | Competitor | NOC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match #1 | 18 Aug 10:00 | Fen Yang | CGO | 4 – 2 | Crystal Huang | USA | |
| Match #2 | 18 Aug 10:00 | Pan Li-Chun | TPE | 4 – 0 | Shaimaa Abdul Aziz | EGY | |
| Match #3 | 18 Aug 10:00 | Marharyta Pesotska | UKR | 4 – 0 | Marina Shumakova | KAZ | |
| Match #4 | 18 Aug 10:00 | Miao Miao | AUS | 4 – 0 | Cecilia Otu | NGR | |
| Match #5 | 18 Aug 10:45 | Jenifer Qian | DOM | 4 – 0 | Victorine Agum Fomum | CMR | |
| Match #6 | 18 Aug 10:45 | Rūta Paškauskienė | LTU | 4 – 0 | Mariany Nonaka | BRA | |
| Match #7 | 18 Aug 10:45 | Mo Zhang | CAN | 4 – 0 | Paula Medina | COL | |
| Match #8 | 18 Aug 10:45 | Dana Hadačová | CZE | 4 – 0 | Zeina Shaban | JOR | |
| Match #9 | 18 Aug 11:30 | Fabiola Ramos | VEN | 4 – 1 | Judy Long | CAN | |
| Match #10 | 18 Aug 11:30 | Tetiana Sorochynska | UKR | 4 – 0 | Noha Yossry | EGY | |
| Match #11 | 18 Aug 11:30 | Jian-Fang Lay | AUS | 4 – 1 | Neha Aggarwal | IND | |
| Match #12 | 18 Aug 11:30 | Stephanie Xu Sang | AUS | 4 – 1 | Bose Kaffo | NGR | |
| Match #13 | 18 Aug 12:15 | Eva Ódorová | SVK | 4 – 0 | Priscilla Tommy | VAN | |
| Match #14 | 18 Aug 12:15 | Andrea Bakula | CRO | 4 – 0 | Yadira Silva | MEX |
| Date | 19 August 2008 |
|---|---|
| Format | Winner of each match advanced to round two. |
| Match | Date/Time | Competitor | NOC | Result | Competitor | NOC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match #1 | 19 Aug 12:15 | Eliza Samara | ROU | 4 – 1 | Fen Yang | CGO | |
| Match #2 | 19 Aug 12:15 | Melek Hu | TUR | 4 – 1 | Pan Li-Chun | TPE | |
| Match #3 | 19 Aug 12:15 | Fang Zhu | ESP | 4 – 1 | Marharyta Pesotska | UKR | |
| Match #4 | 19 Aug 13:00 | Miao Miao | AUS | 4 – 3 | Irina Kotikhina | RUS | |
| Match #5 | 19 Aug 13:45 | Nanthana Komwong | THA | 4 – 1 | Jenifer Qian | DOM | |
| Match #6 | 19 Aug 13:45 | Rūta Paškauskienė | LTU | 4 – 3 | Kim Mi-Yong | PRK | |
| Match #7 | 19 Aug 13:45 | Tatsiana Kostromina | BLR | 4 – 0 | Mo Zhang | CAN | |
| Match #8 | 19 Aug 14:30 | Nikoleta Stefanova | ITA | 4 – 0 | Oksana Kushch-Fadeyeva | RUS | |
| Match #9 | 19 Aug 18:00 | Dana Hadačová | CZE | 4 – 2 | Veranika Paulovich | BLR | |
| Match #10 | 19 Aug 18:00 | Kim Jong | PRK | 4 – 0 | Fabiola Ramos | VEN | |
| Match #11 | 19 Aug 18:00 | Wenling Tan Monfardini | ITA | 4 – 2 | Tetiana Sorochynska | UKR | |
| Match #12 | 19 Aug 18:00 | Sandra Paović | CRO | 4 – 3 | Jian-Fang Lay | AUS | |
| Match #13 | 19 Aug 19:30 | Stephanie Xu Sang | AUS | ||||
| Match #14 | 19 Aug 19:30 | Eva Ódorová | SVK | 4 – 2 | Petra Lovas | HUN | |
| Match #15 | 19 Aug 19:30 | Huang Yi-Hua | TPE | 4 – 1 | Andrea Bakula | CRO | |
| Match #16 | 19 Aug 19:30 | Yi Fang Xian | FRA | 4 – 3 | Jie Xu | POL |
| Date | 19 – 20 August 2008 |
|---|---|
| Format | Winner of each match advanced to round three. |
| Match | Date/Time | Competitor | NOC | Result | Competitor | NOC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match #1 | 19 Aug 21:00 | Viktoryia Paulovich | BLR | 4 – 1 | Eliza Samara | ROU | |
| Match #2 | 19 Aug 21:00 | Melek Hu | TUR | 4 – 2 | Elke Schall | GER | |
| Match #3 | 19 Aug 21:00 | Jie Li | NED | 4 – 1 | Fang Zhu | ESP | |
| Match #4 | 19 Aug 21:00 | Dang Ye-Seo | KOR | 4 – 1 | Miao Miao | AUS | |
| Match #5 | 20 Aug 10:00 | Haruna Fukuoka | JPN | 4 – 0 | Nanthana Komwong | THA | |
| Match #6 | 20 Aug 10:00 | Krisztina Tóth | HUN | 4 – 3 | Rūta Paškauskienė | LTU | |
| Match #7 | 20 Aug 10:00 | Tatsiana Kostromina | BLR | 4 – 2 | Qian Li | POL | |
| Match #8 | 20 Aug 10:00 | Tamara Boroš | CRO | 4 – 1 | Nikoleta Stefanova | ITA | |
| Match #9 | 20 Aug 12:00 | Georgina Póta | HUN | 4 – 3 | Dana Hadačová | CZE | |
| Match #10 | 20 Aug 12:00 | Kim Jong | PRK | 4 – 1 | Daniela Dodean | ROU | |
| Match #11 | 20 Aug 12:00 | Li Qiangbing | AUT | 4 – 2 | Wenling Tan Monfardini | ITA | |
| Match #12 | 20 Aug 12:00 | Yanfei Shen | ESP | 4 – 2 | Sandra Paović | CRO | |
| Match #13 | 20 Aug 13:00 | Nieves Wu | DOM | 4 – 0 | Stephanie Xu Sang | AUS | |
| Match #14 | 20 Aug 13:00 | Jun Gao | USA | 4 – 2 | Eva Ódorová | SVK | |
| Match #15 | 20 Aug 13:00 | Xia Lian Ni | LUX | 4 – 1 | Huang Yi-Hua | TPE | |
| Match #16 | 20 Aug 13:00 | Lau Sui Fei | HKG | 4 – 1 | Yi Fang Xian | FRA |
| Date | 20 August 2008 |
|---|---|
| Format | Winner of each match advanced to round four. |
| Match | Date/Time | Competitor | NOC | Result | Competitor | NOC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match #1 | 20 Aug 15:00 | Zhang Yining | CHN | 4 – 0 | Viktoryia Paulovich | BLR | |
| Match #2 | 20 Aug 15:00 | Ai Fukuhara | JPN | 4 – 1 | Melek Hu | TUR | |
| Match #3 | 20 Aug 15:00 | Jie Li | NED | 4 – 1 | Liu Jia | AUT | |
| Match #4 | 20 Aug 15:00 | Feng Tianwei | SGP | 4 – 0 | Dang Ye-Seo | KOR | |
| Match #5 | 20 Aug 18:00 | Kim Gyeong-A | KOR | 4 – 2 | Haruna Fukuoka | JPN | |
| Match #6 | 20 Aug 18:00 | Chen Wang | USA | 4 – 1 | Krisztina Tóth | HUN | |
| Match #7 | 20 Aug 18:00 | Lin Ling | HKG | 4 – 0 | Tatsiana Kostromina | BLR | |
| Match #8 | 20 Aug 18:00 | Li Jia Wei | SGP | 4 – 1 | Tamara Boroš | CRO | |
| Match #9 | 20 Aug 20:00 | Wang Nan | CHN | 4 – 0 | Georgina Póta | HUN | |
| Match #10 | 20 Aug 20:00 | Park Mi-Yeong | KOR | 4 – 0 | Kim Jong | PRK | |
| Match #11 | 20 Aug 20:00 | Li Qiangbing | AUT | 4 – 3 | Jiaduo Wu | GER | |
| Match #12 | 20 Aug 20:00 | Tie Ya Na | HKG | 4 – 1 | Yanfei Shen | ESP | |
| Match #13 | 20 Aug 21:00 | Nieves Wu | DOM | 4 – 1 | Wang Yuegu | SGP | |
| Match #14 | 20 Aug 21:00 | Jun Gao | USA | 4 – 1 | Sayaka Hirano | JPN | |
| Match #15 | 20 Aug 21:00 | Jiao Li | NED | 4 – 1 | Xia Lian Ni | LUX | |
| Match #16 | 20 Aug 21:00 | Guo Yue | CHN | 4 – 0 | Lau Sui Fei | HKG |
| Date | 21 August 2008 |
|---|---|
| Format | Winner of each match advanced to quarter-finals. |
| Match | Date/Time | Competitor | NOC | Result | Competitor | NOC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match #1 | 21 Aug 10:00 | Zhang Yining | CHN | 4 – 1 | Ai Fukuhara | JPN | |
| Match #2 | 21 Aug 10:00 | Feng Tianwei | SGP | 4 – 1 | Jie Li | NED | |
| Match #3 | 21 Aug 10:00 | Chen Wang | USA | 4 – 3 | Kim Gyeong-A | KOR | |
| Match #4 | 21 Aug 10:00 | Li Jia Wei | SGP | 4 – 3 | Lin Ling | HKG | |
| Match #5 | 21 Aug 11:00 | Wang Nan | CHN | 4 – 2 | Park Mi-Yeong | KOR | |
| Match #6 | 21 Aug 11:00 | Tie Ya Na | HKG | 4 – 3 | Li Qiangbing | AUT | |
| Match #7 | 21 Aug 11:00 | Nieves Wu | DOM | 4 – 3 | Jun Gao | USA | |
| Match #8 | 21 Aug 11:00 | Guo Yue | CHN | 4 – 0 | Jiao Li | NED |
| Date | 21 August 2008 |
|---|---|
| Format | Winner of each match advanced to semi-finals. |
| Match | Date/Time | Competitor | NOC | Result | Competitor | NOC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match #1 | 21 Aug 18:00 | Zhang Yining | CHN | 4 – 1 | Feng Tianwei | SGP | |
| Match #2 | 21 Aug 18:00 | Li Jia Wei | SGP | 4 – 1 | Chen Wang | USA | |
| Match #3 | 21 Aug 19:00 | Wang Nan | CHN | 4 – 1 | Tie Ya Na | HKG | |
| Match #4 | 21 Aug 19:00 | Guo Yue | CHN | 4 – 0 | Nieves Wu | DOM |
| Date | 22 August 2008 |
|---|---|
| Format | Winner of each match advanced to final. |
| Match | Date/Time | Competitor | NOC | Result | Competitor | NOC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match #1 | 22 Aug 10:00 | Zhang Yining | CHN | 4 – 1 | Li Jia Wei | SGP | |
| Match #2 | 22 Aug 11:00 | Wang Nan | CHN | 4 – 2 | Guo Yue | CHN |
| Date | 22 August 2008 |
|---|
| Match | Date/Time | Competitor | NOC | Result | Competitor | NOC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 1/2 | 22 Aug 20:30 | Zhang Yining | CHN | 4 – 1 | Wang Nan | CHN | |
| Match 3/4 | 22 Aug 19:30 | Guo Yue | CHN | 4 – 2 | Li Jia Wei | SGP |