Wang Chuqin, can he really be the future of CNT??

[Tony's Table Tennis]

So, I made this last year.
WCQ had problems during a match and it feels like a great concern for someone that is destine to be the future leader (the main guy).

Throughout the OG so far, WCQ doesn't look like the main guy and the match against Truls has shown that.
Truls was by no means "in form", as he had some terrible results of late.

Do you think WCQ is ready to take on the post Ma Long journey?
Do you think he will ever have a grand slam?
and become the future leader of CNT?

 

[Wrighty67]

It's a fair question for sure. My view is that of the current crop of CNT players, he certainly has the game to be the main man from a technical and movement perspective however the bigger question for me is whether he has the mental strength to carry that game where it needs to go.

He has shown a decent level of resilience previously and doesn't appear unduly affected by high pressure situations, but that having been said something has appeared off during the OG for sure.

Most of the CNT players have had at least some periods of exposure to better non CNT players (Fan/ML etc) so this might be in mitigation.

Jury is out for me but I lean towards him being the main man and the future on balance.

 

[Manto76]

Time will tell, but there are two factors that cause me some reservation about WCQ as the long-term main man.

First, his technique is very physically demanding, especially on the lower-back and knees. I think he's more susceptible to injury than some others. If he does pick up a significant lower-back or knee injury/strain, will he be able to adapt his style to compensate and remain at his current level?

Second, if the culture of umpiring shifts, and his illegal serves start being regularly called out, I think that would level the playing field somewhat.

For sure WCQ will remain at/near the very top for a while, but long-term I have those reservations.

Lin Shidong may have what it takes to become the long-term main guy by Olympics 2028.

 

[NextLevel]

Xiao Zhan will ruin him over time, I would bet on someone else at this point.

 

[d3nium]

For me, Lin Shidong is the future of Chinese table tennis.

 

[gospodindark]

Yesterday, WCQ won a gold medal and was on top of the world. Then he lost one game against a top opponent in top form. Now you think his era is over? Give this guy more time. FZD lost in the previous final, but then he won almost everything for four years in a row. The same goes for SYS.

There is a big chance that WCQ will come back stronger.

 

[Leno]

Xiao Zhan will ruin him over time, I would bet on someone else at this point.

Care to elaborate? Is it because he is overprotective?

In my opinion he didn't face the trials and hurdles that was set by the earlier generation. CNT was only so dominate the last decade, because Wang Hao was a consistent factor of push back and they had to take over the torch than actually having it to be hand over.

I do really hope that FZD doesn't retire too early, so he can push them like his coach did.

 

[Lkhfly]

I think FZD reign might be longer than people think - probably up until 2028. FZD "bad" form recently was just during WTT titles that don't really matter. When it's highly important matches (WTTC Singles, WTTC Teams vs Korea down 2-1) - he always managed to step up and deliver. World Cup loss was to LGY, a CNT member, so that doesn't really matter.
So yea, I see FZD winning this Olympics and leading CNT up until 2028. WCQ however ... I'm not sure if he can recover from this Olympics shock. We'll see at the next WTTC.

 

[Lazer]

Yesterday, WCQ won a gold medal and was on top of the world. Then he lost one game against a top opponent in top form. Now you think his era is over? Give this guy more time. FZD lost in the previous final, but then he won almost everything for four years in a row. The same goes for SYS.

There is a big chance that WCQ will come back stronger.

Agree, totally, remember Chinese are just humans too...
Anybody can have a bad day...

Cheers
L-zr

 

[NextLevel]

Care to elaborate? Is it because he is overprotective?

In my opinion he didn't face the trials and hurdles that was set by the earlier generation. CNT was only so dominate the last decade, because Wang Hao was a consistent factor of push back and they had to take over the torch than actually having it to be hand over.

I do really hope that FZD doesn't retire too early, so he can push them like his coach did.

Xiao Zhan is notorious for overtraining the players he coaches.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Yesterday, WCQ won a gold medal and was on top of the world.

The matches I watch, WCQ isn't that on form...

Then he lost one game against a top opponent in top form.

Truls has poor form of late, if any, WCQ entered with better form.

Now you think his era is over?

Not saying his era is over, but is he solid enough to even be having his era.
loosing 19 points on the trot is unheard of.
Loosing to a foreigner in OG is also, unheard of for a long time.

Give this guy more time.

okay

FZD lost in the previous final,

Lost final to who? highlight the word Final

There is a big chance that WCQ will come back stronger.

I think that is why we having this thread. He could be stronger, or he could just be unstable forever.

 

[Creek]

Wcq has tremendous power in his strokes, but from my perspective he lacks feeling for the ball: everything is perfect, as long as the opponent plays straight balls. As soon as the opponent plays more creative balls, he struggles.
This could not only be seen in the game vs truls, but in a lot of other games/ points when he fails to cope with those balls and makes a weird jump back.
This also happened a lot in the mixed doubles final vs this northern Korean women with pimples. Just rewatch this game with that in mind…

Both, ma long and fzd are more versatile players, even though they might lack the movement and sheer power in straight play from wcq

 

[Aizen]

Definitely, he is.
But he lacks of experience (in comparison to ma long etc) and hard pressure on him right know. (W. Ranking 1st and 1 billion people wait medals)

He has been just butchering the most of opponents for couple years. He will succeed next year certainly.

 

[Amayzde]

Remember Ma Long was a mental wreck as well when he was Wangs age. This prevented him from participating in singles in 2012. Maybe the same thing would have happened to him if they let him play at the time.

Wang definitely has the same potential as Ma Long if you ask me. But we will see how he bounces back from this defeat.

 

[Manto76]

Wcq has tremendous power in his strokes, but from my perspective he lacks feeling for the ball: everything is perfect, as long as the opponent plays straight balls. As soon as the opponent plays more creative balls, he struggles.
This could not only be seen in the game vs truls, but in a lot of other games/ points when he fails to cope with those balls and makes a weird jump back.
This also happened a lot in the mixed doubles final vs this northern Korean women with pimples. Just rewatch this game with that in mind…

Both, ma long and fzd are more versatile players, even though they might lack the movement and sheer power in straight play from wcq

I think you're right, and you're basically making the same point I was making earlier in this thread: WCQ's dominance depends on being able to impose his (very physically demanding) game style. If he picks up a strain/injury (which is not difficult to imagine, given the toll his game must take on his knees and lower back) then I wonder whether or not he'll be able to adapt, and find a way to remain at the very top without his mega-power game.

 

[TensorBackhand]

How much was WCQ affected by having his main paddle broken?

What's the point of using the expensive W968 if they aren't all the same.

 

[gospodindark]

I think FZD reign might be longer than people think - probably up until 2028. FZD "bad" form recently was just during WTT titles that don't really matter. When it's highly important matches (WTTC Singles, WTTC Teams vs Korea down 2-1) - he always managed to step up and deliver. World Cup loss was to LGY, a CNT member, so that doesn't really matter.
So yea, I see FZD winning this Olympics and leading CNT up until 2028. WCQ however ... I'm not sure if he can recover from this Olympics shock. We'll see at the next WTTC.

I believe FZD was injured or had undergone some kind of surgery. This likely happened after the World Cup, where he outplayed WCQ. Then WCQ had his reign while FZD was regaining his form. There are many signs of this. FZD was the best in the group stage of the China Championship but did not play in the playoffs. He then forfeited a game at the WTT against Lin Shidong. Later, he was ahead of Patrick Franziska, but his hands started to shake, and he lost the game.

So, I am sure the team did something with FZD after the World Cup, and it was planned for him to get back in form before the Olympics.

 

[gospodindark]

How much was WCQ affected by having his main paddle broken?

What's the point of using the expensive W968 if they aren't all the same.

WCQ is a pro, he have couple of blades. It's his lack of energy after XD final + Truls form.

 

[TensorBackhand]

2.3M views · 5.7K reactions | 【混雙奪冠後球拍竟被踩斷⁉️王楚欽：是天意，用副板也可以打比賽💪】After Winning the Gold Medal, Wang's Rackets Was Accidently Broken by Photographers.在巴黎奧運會乒乓球混雙比賽上，王楚欽孫穎莎奪冠。慶祝之際，攝影記者蜂擁而至，意外將王楚欽的球拍踩斷...王楚欽回應：“他們也是無意的，拿著副板依舊可以很好地打比賽，繼續加油！”（Cr.@杜黝黝/@陌上弦乒乓

【混雙奪冠後球拍竟被踩斷⁉️王楚欽：是天意，用副板也可以打比賽💪】After Winning the Gold Medal, Wang's Rackets Was Accidently Broken by...

www.facebook.com

Still it seems like it did affect him mentally at least.
For such an important thing, you would imagine they teach you to put your racket away immediately.

 

[NetProphet]

Probably not. He's been inconsistent and temperamental since forever.
He never seems happy, or loose, or relaxed and that does not help to handle pressure, it just takes too much of a toll.
He's had a good year but I really see that coinciding with FZD and Ma Longs relative decline during the same period along with Europe and rest of world no producing any real fight, where are the players to match prime Waldner, Person, Boll, Samaonov, Ovtcharov???
Boll and Dima are unfortunately past it and there's only Felix in the top 10 from Europe, a definite drop in quality I think. The rest of the world too is full of pretenders at the moment, Calderano, Harimoto, L-Yun Yu and more but nobody stepping out and consistently winning things.
Am I wrong? Maybe, but I basically think WCQ is overrated and not the future of Chinese table tennis. Fan is still a better player and now that he looks fit again I cannot see him losing this Gold tbh