2019 Asian Cup April 5-7

[RidTheKid]

That clould nine state

 

[jawien]

Considering Mima's or Harimoto's great run in 2018 and Hayata's flashy Portugal Open after Qatar and Yokohama, everything went back to normal in terms of challenging the CNT ... which regrouped and seems to have right tactics in place.

If I was to look for something positive, psychologically speaking those results need not to be so bad, because they take off the pressure from those young athletes shoulders ... well ... we'll see in just about two weeks.

But yeah, if I was to place my bets with real money, something I never do, the CNT would have to be my choice at the moment ... but hey, I'm not betting so surprise me ... ! ; )

 

[JesperStef]

Results from Day 3 (Sun 07 April 2019):

Men's Singles

Positions 7-8:

[3] Lee Sangsu 4:2 Wong Chun Ting [7] (11:9, 11:7, 5:11, 11:3, 6:11, 11:7)


Positions 5-6:

[9] Lin Jun-Yu 4:0 Sathiyan Gnanasekaran [10] (11:4, 11:8, 11:8, 14:12)


Positions 3-4:

[4] Kiki Niwa 4:2 Tomokazu Harimoto [2] (11:7, 11:3, 3:11, 11:5, 9:11, 11:8)


Final:

[1] Fan Zhendong 4:2 Ma Long [6] (9:11,12:10, 9:11, 11:7, 11:8, 12:10)


Women's Singles

Positions 7-8:

[9] Jeon Jihee 4:0 Cheng I-Ching [4] (w.o.)


Positions 5-6:

[8] Doo Hoi Kem 4:3 Miu Hirano [5] (7:11, 10:12, 11:8, 11:7, 8:11, 11:3, 11:7)


Positions 3-4:

[3] Kasumi Ishikawa 4:1 Feng Tianwei [6] (12:10, 14:12, 15:17, 17:15, 11:8)


Final:

[1] Zhu Yuling 4:2 Chen Meng [2] (15:13, 4:11, 11:5, 11:8, 7:11, 11:6)


Source: https://www.ittf.com/tournament/5061/2019/ittf-attu-asian-cup

 

[NextLevel]

ZYL isn't called "專殺熟" for nothing.

Yet, CM stuck to her nickname - Ms Open. She has never won the Asian Cup, or anything continental and beyond for that matter. WTTC 2019 will be the last straw if she wants to play at Tokyo 2020. Even reaching the final won't be enough.

Li Xiaoxia once had the nickname "bridesmaid" because she always came second and look how that turned out. People just like to say nasty things without a shred of patience and context.

 

[NextLevel]

BTW, Koki Niwa beats Harimoto in a somewhat meaningless match. But for who?

 

[zeio]

There's more to that loss than meets the eyes. Harimoto's ring finger was in serious pain. He said he first had pain on day 2 of Qatar Open. It flared up after the SF at Asian Cup.

It got so bad he had to call a medical TO. Kurashima even told him to withdraw but he kept going, saying that something like this could happen at Tokyo 2020. Kurashima said he might have to cut down on some events for WTTC depending on the prognosis tomorrow.

 

[mrk]

He should pull back from doubles and mixed or at least from one of those events. Even without the injury playing in 3 events is too much, he isn't even a big contender for the doubles and possibly mixed as well.

 

[NoFootwork]

If you watch China Open 2018 the way ML played Fzd there, this Asian Cup ML played much more aggressive and it won't work against Fzd since he is better in the speed and power style game. ML should go back to play more short, control the pace, let Fzd make the first move and then counterstrike.

With the WTTC coming up shortly, ML shouldn't be expected to reveal all his tactics against FZD as there is a good chance he will face him there. I think he has used Qatar and Asia Cup to see how much he can push himself physically in a tournament setting. Having said that, getting to finals in 2 tournaments back to back just before the WTTC has to be pretty draining.

FZD is a much more complete player now, not just brute force TT bludgeoning of his opponents. IMO he is the favorite to win WTTC. Hope he plays ML in that final, should be a joy to watch.

 

[RidTheKid]

You may have a point, we will sure find out soon I agree that ML pushed himself more physically, he moved more and better this time in Yokohama than he did in Qatar. Fzd is surely a more complete player than a year ago but he still isn't the greatest tactician around, and he really doesn't need to be, until he faces a ML in 100% shape both mentally and physically. But I was impressed by Fzd on a few sequences/areas this Asia Cup final:

1. The around the net shot
Of course it should be mentioned, an around the net shot is always something special. But the way he did it almost off balance was quite astonishing. How often have we seen Ma Long look that surprised?

2. The short game
He lured ML into the short game and executed a fast bh to ML's fh corner and ML was left in no mans land.

3. Fh 2 Fh
He won a few monster rallies with his Fh, something that isn't very easy to do against ML.

Changes I want to see from Ma Long in their next meeting:

1. More going down the line during bh-bh exchanges. Even though it being the riskier shot to make you have to try and surprise your opponent. If your opponent knows what he's facing it's much easier to prepare a response/counter move.

2. More focus on short game.
No one is better than ML in the short game. He can do it for weeks on time if you let him. If ML plays short, Fzd will open sooner or later and ML will counterstrike.

3. Patience.
Ma Long behaved very uncharacteristic on several occasions, for example when trying to loop kill a heavy underspin serve at deuce. Not sure if it was the end of 2nd or 4th set. But that just felt like a very strange decision being ML. Ok, maybe he tried to surprise Fzd but this is not how ML wins against Fzd 2019.

4. Pace
ML need to slow down the pace, to go head to head in a speed and power game against Fzd will end up in a loss, every time.

5. Spin variation and placement
ML is the king in these areas and needs to use them more.

With the WTTC coming up shortly, ML shouldn't be expected to reveal all his tactics against FZD as there is a good chance he will face him there. I think he has used Qatar and Asia Cup to see how much he can push himself physically in a tournament setting. Having said that, getting to finals in 2 tournaments back to back just before the WTTC has to be pretty draining.

FZD is a much more complete player now, not just brute force TT bludgeoning of his opponents. IMO he is the favorite to win WTTC. Hope he plays ML in that final, should be a joy to watch.

 

[Free bird]

It’s Fan-tastic Dong vs Ma-rvelous Long: never boring, always exciting.

got up in the middle of sleep to watch the final live. Had the feeling of Deja Vu all over again During the first three sets. But this time in the next three sets, I saw Fan’s more mature side with real-time calculating and adapting abilities. The last few key points, one down-the-line, below the table forehand counter loop, another backhanded lightening switch to a down the line winner, show Fan is someone special.

Ma recoveres much better than most expected. Can’t wait to the dual in two weeks.

BTW, Can’t stand the two cctv 5 lady sportscasters. Too pretentious to me. Still like our Adam better.

 

[Danny21312]

It’s Fan-tastic Dong vs Ma-rvelous Long: never boring, always exciting.

got up in the middle of sleep to watch the final live. Had the feeling of Deja Vu all over again During the first three sets. But this time in the next three sets, I saw Fan’s more mature side with real-time calculating and adapting abilities. The last few key points, one down-the-line, below the table forehand counter loop, another backhanded lightening switch to a down the line winner, show Fan is someone special.

Ma recoveres much better than most expected. Can’t wait to the dual in two weeks.

BTW, Can’t stand the two cctv 5 lady sportscasters. Too pretentious to me. Still like our Adam better.

If someone told you that you have a choice of having Harimoto in the final against ML/FZD/XX/LGY/LJK and have him win, or having ML/XX/FZD/LJK/LGY vs ML/XX/FZD/LJK/LGY, are you really telling me that you'd rather watch the latter instead of witnessing a historic moment in the former?

 

[Dr Evil]

FZD seems much improved in the short game vs ML. Not only more consistent with high quality pushes but also more patient. I think that was the difference in this match which he would have lost last year. ML still in recovery mode but he's so good it's hard to tell. He seemed to be holding back a bit on fh, and letting bh to bh rallies continue in the same rhythm for longer than he usually would against FZD. I still like his chances later this month.

 

[Atas Newton]

It’s Fan-tastic Dong vs Ma-rvelous Long: never boring, always exciting.

ah yes, the legendary Long Dong rivalry.

 

[RidTheKid]

Brilliant We need this on a t-shirt NOW!

ah yes, the legendary Long Dong rivalry.

 

[Free bird]

If someone told you that you have a choice of having Harimoto in the final against ML/FZD/XX/LGY/LJK and have him win, or having ML/XX/FZD/LJK/LGY vs ML/XX/FZD/LJK/LGY, are you really telling me that you'd rather watch the latter instead of witnessing a historic moment in the former?

For the coming WTTC and next years Olympic, Fan-Ma dual represents the highest level. I’d not put lgy, ljk, xx or any other players in the same league. Harimoto has the potential to join them in the next couple of years, but not at this moment.

 

[yoass]

Li Xiaoxia once had the nickname "bridesmaid" because she always came second and look how that turned out. People just like to say nasty things without a shred of patience and context.

But Zhuān shā shú isn't a nasty thing to say, is it? Isn't it rather complimentary instead?

 

[usualsuspect]

You may have a point, we will sure find out soon I agree that ML pushed himself more physically, he moved more and better this time in Yokohama than he did in Qatar. Fzd is surely a more complete player than a year ago but he still isn't the greatest tactician around

Do you know why FZD could not beat ML before? FZD did not vary pace and rhythm in a rally. FZD only understood how to hit hard and change shot placements, but he didn't change up the pace to disrupt opponent's rhythm (this is something Samsonov does exceptionally well). Over the past year, FZD has purposefully slowed down during BH rallies to disrupt his opponent. Now he's adept at changing rhythm.

Today, both ML and FZD are complete players with no obvious weaknesses. What do you do to win against someone who has no weakness? You have to vary every aspect of your game in hopes of catching your opponent off guard. Spin, speed, power, placement, and rhythm. Both players were changing tactics constantly throughout the match.
Even when ML and FZD succeed in executing their plans, the other could still return the difficult shot and win the point. That's how good they both are.

When FZD played Harimoto, the match was much more one-sided. FZD exploited Harimoto's lackluster ability to receive short service to the FH side. In the last two sets, FZD basically used this one serve placement to defeat Harimoto. This is the example of Harimoto having an obvious weakness and it was exploited.

 

[drunix80]

I saw FZD's coach Qin Zhijian constantly ask him to serve short in FH to Harimoto. And it was really amazing that Harimoto could do nothing much. Of course his short game is nowhere near FZD's or ML's and apart from Chiquita, he did not have much option. I hope Harimoto improves in this area amd CNT finds the next weakness is his game. Quite interesting !!

 

[RidTheKid]

Right. So nice of CNT to help HT this way

I saw FZD's coach Qin Zhijian constantly ask him to serve short in FH to Harimoto. And it was really amazing that Harimoto could do nothing much. Of course his short game is nowhere near FZD's or ML's and apart from Chiquita, he did not have much option. I hope Harimoto improves in this area amd CNT finds the next weakness is his game. Quite interesting !!

 

[RidTheKid]

Yep exactly. If you re-watch the match you'll see that ML made some strange decisions, and lost sharpness in a very uncharacteristic way. He lead 6-1 and 9-5 in 2nd set and still managed to lose that set. He just came back from injury lay off, he'll be back better for WTTC for sure. Like I wrote above ML can't go head to head with Fzd in a guns blazing style, it won't end with a success. He needs to approach Fzd exactly the same way as he did in China Open 2018.

Do you know why FZD could not beat ML before? FZD did not vary pace and rhythm in a rally. FZD only understood how to hit hard and change shot placements, but he didn't change up the pace to disrupt opponent's rhythm (this is something Samsonov does exceptionally well). Over the past year, FZD has purposefully slowed down during BH rallies to disrupt his opponent. Now he's adept at changing rhythm.

Today, both ML and FZD are complete players with no obvious weaknesses. What do you do to win against someone who has no weakness? You have to vary every aspect of your game in hopes of catching your opponent off guard. Spin, speed, power, placement, and rhythm. Both players were changing tactics constantly throughout the match.
Even when ML and FZD succeed in executing their plans, the other could still return the difficult shot and win the point. That's how good they both are.

When FZD played Harimoto, the match was much more one-sided. FZD exploited Harimoto's lackluster ability to receive short service to the FH side. In the last two sets, FZD basically used this one serve placement to defeat Harimoto. This is the example of Harimoto having an obvious weakness and it was exploited.