Predictions for the rest of the tournament:
FZD - JYS 4:2
Karlsson - Gauzy 4:3
Lee Sangsu - WCT 4:2
XX - Gerell 4:0
FZD - Karlsson 4:1
XX - Lee Sangsu 4:1
FZD - XX 4:1
Close enough.
Some thoughts:
Fan Zhendong is the most technically sound player on the planet, and that should remain the case for the next 6-7 years if not more. Not to say he is necessarily the best yet, as Ma Long could still have the edge because of mental and tactical aspects, but FZD's combination of serve, technique, touch, wrist action, footwork, speed and coordination are better than anyone else's, by a noticeable distance.
As well as Xu Xin plays sometimes and even though he would comfortably take care of any non-Chinese player 9 times out of 10, he continues to prove he lacks something that makes the other big 3 categorically stronger than him (at least if you take ZJK from a couple of years back). I think his weakness is his inability to stay close to the table while staying aggresive at the same time. He is just a fraction too slow.
I believe it's highly unlikely at this point that XX will ever become world or Olympic champion.
Kristian Karlsson will become one of the 2-3 best players in Europe very soon. He is not quite there as of today, but his style of play is already the most effective against the Chinese among all European players. He had a lot of success in this world cup thanks to surprise long serves and inside out forehand flicks, which the competition will eventually learn to expect. His decision making needs some work, but he is technically and mentally all there and is definitely one of the players to look out for.
Going back to pure technical ability, I believe Jeoung Young Sik has set the bar on a new level outside of China. Even Jun Mizutani, who is arguably the best non-Chinese player in the world and has more consistent results that JYS currently, would not be able to handle some of the rallies that JYS was producing with Ma Long and Fan Zhendong recently. His speed and control over the ball is something out of the ordinary.
Something bad is happening to Tiago Apolonia. I dunno if he said anything about it, could be personal life or simply lack of confidence. I imagine he will spend the next few matches as #3 for Saarbrücken.
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