2025 All Japan (Emperor's/Empress's Cup) 1/21-1/26

[FIXPOINT]

All Japan Table Tennis Championships 2025 MS Final

Japanese version​

 

[turbozed]

Damn, Sora looking like WCQ there against Harimoto with his big lefty FHs off the bounce.

Looking like WCQ a few times in the service department too.

No hate here. Sora didn't need any help with the way he was playing. To me it seems pretty apparent that his skill ceiling is far higher than anyone else for Team Japan. Problem up to this point is that he's shown in flashes and lacked the consistency and maybe the mentality to put it all together.

When he does play with confidence and consistency, it's some damn impressive stuff to watch. Consistent highlight reel play. Also digging the increase in volume and emoting. Maybe it makes a more significant difference in performance than we all think.

 

[fore.n.back]

Damn, Sora looking like WCQ there against Harimoto with his big lefty FHs off the bounce.

True, the only thing he can improve on is having an even quicker footwork. But his attitude is like an Asian Truls

 

[banbekas]

Venting it out like Truls is actually good for focus, imo. Keeping it inside even though you are annoyed is never a good advice, especially for athletes who sre high in testosterone. Look at Tennis players, they all have personality instead of the stoicism of TT players.

 

[Tempest/Comet]

KURASHIMA Yosuke‘s comment on the Hayata-Harimoto Final. (JNT men’s coach)
“….There are very few women in this world who can play this way, except Chinese players. This is a spectacular comeback from injury.”

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

KURASHIMA Yosuke‘s comment on the Hayata-Harimoto Final. (JNT men’s coach)
“….There are very few women in this world who can play this way, except Chinese players. This is a spectacular comeback from injury.”

He’s a former JNT men’s coach

 

[mikeytt]

sora's cross court forehands vs harimoto were so effective, what a great tournament from him

 

[turbozed]

KURASHIMA Yosuke‘s comment on the Hayata-Harimoto Final. (JNT men’s coach)
“….There are very few women in this world who can play this way, except Chinese players. This is a spectacular comeback from injury.”

He ain't wrong. There are only a few names, all Chinese, who I thought could realistically beat Odo and Miwa by a combined game score of 8-0. Now I have to add Hayata to that list because I just saw it with my own eyes.

Did she actually level up her play during that injury break, or has she always played this way?

Her shots selection seems more intentional. Things like her FH kills are landing super wide (mostly to the deep BH of the righty opponent but sometimes deep FH as a mixup). The trajectory looked more untouchable than before with the ball dipping down after table contact.

Also, her play just looked more nuanced and smart in general. She didn't need to beat Odo or Miwa in fast rallies because she never gave them their pace. Lot of surprising tempo and location changes. She seemed to celebrate stuff like a sneaky long push or surprise misdirection fading FH flick more than the power shots.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Haters SOP on Hayata from China

if Hayata loss:
I told you her career is over. She should of retired after Paris.
when Hayata won:
Her injury is inconsistent, she should retire after Paris.

meanwhile, CTTA has banned all Chinese fan groups, because of hostility culture.
I am also +1 for the Chinese hostile fan culture to end.
It is disguising how low they can go to abuse other human beings.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

LIke Tony has said in the past, Hina Hayata is a warrior. She must have incredibly proud parents. From Hina's X account:

x.com

x.com

I was able to achieve my third consecutive victory in the women's singles at the All Japan Championships

After my injury, I couldn't play table tennis for days, and I was worried that my career as an athlete would end, but many people close to me supported me every day. Thank you very much to everyone who supported me until I was able to come back here. Before the tournament started, I didn't have the confidence I had before, and even after the matches started, I was just trying to get through each match. By competing on this All Japan stage and competing with many other players, I was able to regain the sense I had lost, and I think I was able to win by facing the different sensations I felt every day I'm glad I didn't give up then, that's what I think now. I'm not fully recovered yet, so I think the difficult times will continue from here on out, but I want to continue walking through this world without answers, facing myself more at my own pace.

Thank you to all my fans for your constant support and messages. Thanks to all of you, I was able to move forward. Please continue to support Hayata Hina in season 2.

Photo courtesy of Japan Table Tennis Association

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

LIke Tony has said in the past, Hina Hayata is a warrior. She must have incredibly proud parents.

I can't be given credit by saying it out loud.
Hayata is a warrior by heart since she was a junior. Many warriors out there, all with injuries and play through daily pain. Some has results, some don't. Hayata is one who plays through pains - physically and mentally, and still comes out with results.

So I am disguised with chinese amateur couch coaches trying to insult hayata every single day and it isn't a China to foreigner issue, the same low class behavior against Chen Meng was disgusting too.

sport career is short, and there are huge gambles.
Time is not on your side and there is just no time to rest, or become better or heal completely.
injury is part of luck, just like a bad or good draw. You can only take it on the chin, go to sleep, wake up the next day and continue to fight.

PS. in 2016 world junior champs, Hayata was basically number 4 of the 4. The super stars Ito and Hirano had all the results. When JNT left the training hall every day, Hayata was still there for at least 1 hour, some times 2 hours with her coach.
I didn't know who Hayata is back then, but as a coach, who doesn't like these kind of players?
winning or loosing is irrelevant, it is the effort that counts and Hayata has been doing that for many years.

You would want her as your team leader, your team captain, your national hero.
Its not about results or winning medals, but it is the warrior spirit and I think China has lost its heritage on warrior spirit and focus way too much on results (a huge problem in modern day China now with its youth....only results count's, the rest means nothing).

 

[Peter93]

The rubber of champions

 

[Brs]

The {backhand?} rubber of champions

asking for a friend?

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

asking for a friend?

Yes, red is her backhand side. This tournament was a win for Butterfly but also a win for Nittaku. Hina got to showcase her Nittaku outfits that she designed not to mention her Hina Hayata H2 blade.

 

[joshmak10]

I wonder if the fact that Sora won all japan champs that he will go up in the pecking order over Togami. Japan can’t drop Shinozuka since he just made the final. It seems this should be the japanese pecking order now

Tomokazu Harimoto
Hiroto Shinozuka
Sora Matsushima
Shunsuke Togami
Yuta Tanaka
Yukiya Uda
Maharu Yoshimura
Ryoichi Yoshiyama

I will still never understand why the Japanese coaches never select Uda anymore and prefer Tanaka. By world ranking Uda is the 4th best Japanese! And imo Uda is far better than Tanaka

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Like Ito said, her style is boring (ugly) to watch once she gets figured out.

Out of curiosity, I looked at the links in your link. In what article does she say her style is boring (ugly) because I searched for "boring" and "ugly" and did not find it? Or is that just what you think of her style?

 

[banbekas]

The rubber of champions
View attachment 34367

Nittaku H2, H3 BS, D09C. Man, her setup is no joke.

 

[NextLevel]

He’s a former JNT men’s coach

Nah. He is Bill Murray's twin brother.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

For MLTT fans, just to give you an idea of how high the level is at the All Japan, Hiromitsu Kasahara of the Texas Smash posted on X that he lost in the 2nd round which is his worst result of his career. Kasahara is one of the better players in the MLTT (power ranking #11) with a USATT rating of 2741.

 

[rbtitco]

For MLTT fans, just to give you an idea of how high the level is at the All Japan, Hiromitsu Kasahara of the Texas Smash posted on X that he lost in the 2nd round which is his worst result of his career. Kasahara is one of the better players in the MLTT (power ranking #11) with a USATT rating of 2741.

They're good, no doubt. Satoshi Aida made it to round of 32 tho where he ran into Harimoto.