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I know they become practice partners for the A-tier players and all, and this is what I know about the B or lower players:
- They hold satellite tournaments for ONE spot on the team trial main tournament, only to compete again for a spot in the international tournaments. Usually Li Ping wins this spot, and I recall he defeated Chen Qi and another player, only to be defeated by Ma Long in the final.
- They usually are mandated to copy the styles of international world class players, so that the A-tier team gets better preparation. Zhang Chao is a perfect example: his movements (save the serve) completely mimics Schlager.
*To date, I don't think there is a Timo Boll clone, since his fundamentals are completely different from both the Euro players and the Chinese players.
What I want to find out about the B players:
- What's their lifestyle like? Where they live, what they eat, their coaches, salaries, etc.
- Is there advancement opportunities for them? I know that Xu Xin made the National A team while being in the B team by challenging the A team to round robin matches. The A team would give the B team a 2 point handicap. When the coaches saw that he beat Ma Long 3-2 and Chen Qi 3-0, they realized Xu Xin's strong mental game and decided to transfer him into the A team, under the guidance of Qin Zhijian.
Photo from: HERE
- They hold satellite tournaments for ONE spot on the team trial main tournament, only to compete again for a spot in the international tournaments. Usually Li Ping wins this spot, and I recall he defeated Chen Qi and another player, only to be defeated by Ma Long in the final.
- They usually are mandated to copy the styles of international world class players, so that the A-tier team gets better preparation. Zhang Chao is a perfect example: his movements (save the serve) completely mimics Schlager.
*To date, I don't think there is a Timo Boll clone, since his fundamentals are completely different from both the Euro players and the Chinese players.
What I want to find out about the B players:
- What's their lifestyle like? Where they live, what they eat, their coaches, salaries, etc.
- Is there advancement opportunities for them? I know that Xu Xin made the National A team while being in the B team by challenging the A team to round robin matches. The A team would give the B team a 2 point handicap. When the coaches saw that he beat Ma Long 3-2 and Chen Qi 3-0, they realized Xu Xin's strong mental game and decided to transfer him into the A team, under the guidance of Qin Zhijian.
Photo from: HERE