Well, its over.
I'm really happy to have been part of this. To think only about TT for nearly a week and forget about everybody else. To be with my buddies, see new and old faces (yes, I was surprised and happy to see quite a few people from Tokyo that i know)
We came 1 day before the competition and were able to practise a whole afternoon, and socialize with a few people.
We felt like pros as during the competition, the subarena was available for warming up before the matches. Usually i go to some far place, warm up 9-9:30 12 people on the same table, then get called at 2pm, with 3 balls warm-up and i lose 0-3 in the 1st round and its over and no fun...
I couldn't make it in a team from Japan as my usual partners couldn't go to the event, so I joined a HK team with actually just 1 chinese ("Bad Joe"), there was a German guy ("Samsoboll"), and another French guy.
In the preliminary group of 3, we first faced a team from Singapore, and we were tied 1-1 as Bad Joe lost his match but Samsoboll came back from 0-2 to win it 3-2. Then it was my turn to play. I was really pumped up and delivered a very good match (compared to my standards). I won the 1st easily, was about to win the 2nd easily but then something started to go wrong, and i needed to win it 12-10 despite being up 10-5. My confidence was altered and as it is alas too common then, my receive on long balls start to get very awful, I gave too many easy points to the opponent and got crushed in the 3rd and 4th set...
It looked like i would lose 2-3 but i got good coaching and became more positive to return well at last. It was a hard fight in the 5th but I was always ahead and ultimately won it 11-9. yeah !!!! It felt so good. I didn't notice while i was playing but on match point, as i was serving and looking at the ball, another ball came flying over the table and it helped me win the point. The guy made some hand signs at the end but i didn't take notice as i was too happy and the referee didn't say anything. Its not a good way to win a match but it was a deserved win I believe.
Then our team lost to a Japanese team (i wasn't playing) but as Singapore lost, it meant we were through to the main tournament.
On the next day, we faced a team from Thailand. We expected to play a strong team from China but they lost on purpose to avoid playing a Chinese team in the next round [they would ultimately meet in the final]. The challenge of the Thai team seemed more reasonable to us. Alas, Samsoboll lost his first match to a talented SP/LP combo player 1-3, and our captain Bad Joe lost 0-3 to a strong opponent. So I had quite some pressure when facing the Thai player, a PH attacker which was probably 1-2 level above me.
In the first game, i take a very bad start down 1-9, somehow i manage to come back to 8-9. 8-10 its my serve and I rush it too much and miss my 3rd ball attack (in the net)... in the 2nd game, i take the better start, the guy is not so confident after my comeback in the previous set, so i have quite a few attacking chances but i miss 2-3 not so difficult kill shots, and 9-9 its his serve and he plays well those 2 points, i'm down 0-2. In the 3rd game he plays without pressure now and i get toasted easily.
Thats how our team tournament ended :-(
China won most of the team titles. Only in 70+ and 80+ Japan managed to win it as there were fewer if no Chinese teams ! Japanese people have a healthier lifestyle and live longer. Those Chinese veteran players couldn't even take the plane !!!
The next day began the individual competition. I play first a Japanese guy attacking PH, who's 1-2 level above and feels very confident during the warmup. I think he tries to show me he's the boss and i've got no chance.. lol its a bit like boxing... I play poker face and show him I'm not impressed. In the first 2 sets, i'm playing a very good match. His serve and receive is good, and its difficult for me to attack first, but i do take the chance when i can. Fortunately my blocking is very good in this match, and it keeps me in the match.
As usual however, i play weakly in the money time. Bad choice of serves (why do I serve long at this precise moment ????) or starting to make misses that i didn't do before... 8-8 -> 8-11 in the 1st and 9-9 -> 9-11 in the 2nd...
its exactly the same scenario than against the Thai guy, and in the 3rd game, i lose it by a wide margin.
I played at a good standard in the 1st and 2nd game in those 2 matches but I failed at the end of the sets...making tactical mistakes, receive mistakes (when under pressure) and failing mentally when facing more calm and experienced/skilled opponents, it's not possible to win...
In the 2nd game of the group, I face the same player from Singapore (couldn't they make it differently????). This time he played better than on the other day, he changed a bit his serve and receive, while on the other hand I was more nervous. I didn't recover also from the game with the Japanese. The pace was much slower in this game, and i was quite confused. It was a bit of a disaster in the 1st and 2nd game -5 -3. In the 3rd game, i was down 1-5 (?) when my coach called "Time Out". I managed to come back and even have a game point, as my opponent started panicking and remembering his defeat, but i blitzed the game point instead of playing it safe [mental failure], and i lost it 12-14. A very different match and result than 2 days ago...
And thats the end of the tournament...
But the fun is not just about playing but cheering other players, watching so many different styles and players doing very well even at 60 70 or more... and enjoying the wonderful town of Yaizu, i was lucky to stay at a top hotel with open-air hot springs with fabulous views on both the Ocean and Mt Fuji; The seafood was excellent and it was fun to go out with locals as well.
Maybe next year in China ?? but i wanna train hard and win more than just one group game next time !