1979 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's singles
# 1979 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's singles

The 1979 World Table Tennis Championships men's singles was the 35th edition of the men's singles championship.

Seiji Ono defeated Guo Yuehua in the final after Yuehua was forced to retire during the fourth set due to leg cramps.

## 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 | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Guo Yuehua | 25 | 23 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Dragutin Šurbek | 23 | 21 | 19 | | | Yuehua | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Norio Takashima | 13 | 22 | 23 | 21 | | Takashima | 15 | 14 | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| János Takács | 21 | 20 | 21 | 17 | | | | | | | | Guo Yuehua | 21 | 21 | 17 | 21 | | | | | | |
| Li Zhenshi | 21 | 15 | 29 | 21 | | | | | | | | Li Zhenshi | 17 | 16 | 21 | 15 | | | | | | |
| Hideo Gotoh | 11 | 21 | 27 | 17 | | Zhenshi | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Gábor Gergely | 19 | 21 | 24 | 18 | 22 | Gergely | 20 | 10 | 14 | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Shi Zhihao | 21 | 9 | 22 | 21 | 20 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Guo Yuehua | 23 | 17 | 21 | 1+ |
| Lu Yaohua | 21 | 21 | 13 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ono | 25 | 21 | 18 | 2 |
| Tibor Klampár | 15 | 16 | 21 | 12 | | Lu Yaohua | 18 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 16 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Seiji Ono | 21 | 21 | 13 | 25 | | Ono | 21 | 13 | 21 | 18 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Huang Liang | 16 | 16 | 21 | 23 | | | | | | | | Ono | 13 | 21 | 21 | 12 | 21 | | | | | |
| Josef Dvoracek | 17 | 23 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | Liang Geliang | 21 | 19 | 15 | 21 | 15 | | | | | |
| Desmond Douglas | 21 | 21 | 10 | 7 | | Dvoracek | 9 | 18 | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Liang Geliang | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | Liang Geliang | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| István Jónyer | 18 | 18 | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

+ retired injured

