WTT Singapore Smash 2025 (30 Jan ~ 9 Feb 2025)

[NetProphet]

Wow, Ricardo Walther took Duda out easily,.did that surprise anyone else?

As much as I love Walther I gotta say that surprised me. It seems Dudas form has dipped quite a bit since his strong finish to last season.
Congrats to Walther though, Pucar up next for him

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Over the hill Liam Pitchford playing over the hill Maharu Yoshimura (both are 31 years old).

Over the hill Yoshimura wins!

case study time, since one is on the decline, while the other is maintaining, or some what on the incline.
If we want to use hill , then we can see who is already down the hill, and who is still on top of the hill.

 

[JackJohnson]

Anyone know the story on why some of the doubles pairings are with players from different countries.

I understand the smaller countries may need to pair up with someone else from another country with doubles but to see the likes of Japan and Hong Kong pairing up with someone from another country when they should have enough players of their own to team up for doubles.

Nothing wrong with that I think it’s great that it’s allowed just wondering why though when Japan and Hong Kong have enough players of their own to team up for doubles.

Maybe @Tony's Table Tennis might know.

 

[NextLevel]

case study time, since one is on the decline, while the other is maintaining, or some what on the incline.
If we want to use hill , then we can see who is already down the hill, and who is still on top of the hill.

View attachment 34482

View attachment 34483

Thanks, tomorrow we will see over the hill Zhu Yuling vs (not-sure, maybe Over the hill is different for women?) Doo Hoi Kem. The age and drops in world ranking say it all!

 

[NextLevel]

Anyone know the story on why some of the doubles pairings are with players from different countries.

I understand the smaller countries may need to pair up with someone else from another country with doubles but to see the likes of Japan and Hong Kong pairing up with someone from another country when they should have enough players of their own to team up for doubles.

Nothing wrong with that I think it’s great that it’s allowed just wondering why though when Japan and Hong Kong have enough players of their own to team up for doubles.

Maybe @Tony's Table Tennis might know.

Sometimes, you enter an event with a partner in mind, sometimes you don't. Just because you are from a country that could provide you a partner doesn't mean you will enter doubles with a partner from that country - also some players just enter doubles because they are in the mood to play, not because there is an explicit plan from their national associations.

 

[JackJohnson]

Sometimes, you enter an event with a partner in mind, sometimes you don't. Just because you are from a country that could provide you a partner doesn't mean you will enter doubles with a partner from that country - also some players just enter doubles because they are in the mood to play, not because there is an explicit plan from their national associations.

I know China rarely allows players to team up with other players from different countries. It has happened at World Championships with some of the China players teaming up with USA players.

I would like to see it happened more in WTT events where China players team up with someone else from a different country for doubles.

Has there ever been a WTT event where China players have teamed up with someone else from a different country for doubles?

 

[NextLevel]

I know China rarely allows players to team up with other players from different countries. It has happened at World Championships with some of the China players teaming up with USA players.

I would like to see it happened more in WTT events where China players team up with someone else from a different country for doubles.

Has there ever been a WTT event where China players have teamed up with someone else from a different country for doubles?

All the examples that come to mind are WTTC events. Maybe someone else can think of one.

 

[zeio]

Anyone know the story on why some of the doubles pairings are with players from different countries.

I understand the smaller countries may need to pair up with someone else from another country with doubles but to see the likes of Japan and Hong Kong pairing up with someone from another country when they should have enough players of their own to team up for doubles.

Nothing wrong with that I think it’s great that it’s allowed just wondering why though when Japan and Hong Kong have enough players of their own to team up for doubles.

Maybe @Tony's Table Tennis might know.

It's a WTT thing since its inception. 4 players allowed but only 1 full pair per association, e.g. 1 full pair + 2 half pairs, or 4 half pairs.

https://wttwebcmsprod.blob.core.windows.net/technicaldocuments/WTT Series & Feeder Handbook 2025.pdf

2.1 National Entry Restriction (NER)
The NER is the number of participating players / pairs per Member Association allowed to participate in a
sub-event and is applied as follows:
a. WTT Grand Smash

...

Doubles/Mixed Doubles:
• Each Member Association shall be allowed a maximum of four (4) players per sub-event but only
one (1) full pair consisting of players from the same Member Association (i.e., 1 CHN/CHN, 1
CHN/AUS, 1 CHN/GER). The EO is permitted to use its Host Wildcards to nominate additional full or
half pairs outside of the NER limit.

 

[d3nium]

Wow, Ricardo Walther took Duda out easily,.did that surprise anyone else?

As much as I love Walther I gotta say that surprised me. It seems Dudas form has dipped quite a bit since his strong finish to last season.
Congrats to Walther though, Pucar up next for him

In Kanaks latest vlog he beat Dang Qui 3-0 so can't have dipped that much.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Anyone know the story on why some of the doubles pairings are with players from different countries.

I understand the smaller countries may need to pair up with someone else from another country with doubles but to see the likes of Japan and Hong Kong pairing up with someone from another country when they should have enough players of their own to team up for doubles.

Nothing wrong with that I think it’s great that it’s allowed just wondering why though when Japan and Hong Kong have enough players of their own to team up for doubles.

Maybe @Tony's Table Tennis might know.

This is encouraged by WTT and players choose who to pair with.
ie, Bernie and Sofia has paired to win the Euros just last month.

I personally feel, WTT, players need to loose the national identity and play as an individual - a proper professional player/individual.
ITTF (events) can have the national identities.

So what WTT is doing is great.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Thanks, tomorrow we will see over the hill Zhu Yuling vs (not-sure, maybe Over the hill is different for women?) Doo Hoi Kem. The age and drops in world ranking say it all!

you still haven't answered me, what is the average age of MLTT?

 

[yamagata]

Wow, Ricardo Walther took Duda out easily,.did that surprise anyone else?

As much as I love Walther I gotta say that surprised me. It seems Dudas form has dipped quite a bit since his strong finish to last season.
Congrats to Walther though, Pucar up next for him

Duda seem confused about his servicegame which is unfortunate since serviceteaining with Bryant is public on YT. But the table surface seem to favor those that play with lots of spin.

 

[JackJohnson]

This is encouraged by WTT and players choose who to pair with.
ie, Bernie and Sofia has paired to win the Euros just last month.

I personally feel, WTT, players need to loose the national identity and play as an individual - a proper professional player/individual.
ITTF (events) can have the national identities.

So what WTT is doing is great.

I agree with this. It’s nice seeing players from different countries teaming up together.

If players get to choose who to pair with how does this all work. Does a player enter to play doubles then on the WTT entry list of players that have entered doubles does the player just select someone on the list who they want to pair with and the person they select receives a notification and that player confirms that they want to pair up with the player that sent them a request to pair up?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I agree with this. It’s nice seeing players from different countries teaming up together.

If players get to choose who to pair with how does this all work. Does a player enter to play doubles then on the WTT entry list of players that have entered doubles does the player just select someone on the list who they want to pair with and the person they select receives a notification and that player confirms that they want to pair up with the player that sent them a request to pair up?

most of the times, the players enter with each other already.
seldomly you enter as no partner.
When that happens, WTT has a list of no partner players, and then the players will go and chat with each other to see if they can pair.

 

[driversbeat]

It's a WTT thing since its inception. 4 players allowed but only 1 full pair per association, e.g. 1 full pair + 2 half pairs, or 4 half pairs.

https://wttwebcmsprod.blob.core.windows.net/technicaldocuments/WTT Series & Feeder Handbook 2025.pdf

I recall cross national pairs on ITTF pro tours as well.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I recall cross national pairs on ITTF pro tours as well.

yep, it is allowed.
more common in junior levels, where only 1 player per country goes/takes part.

 

[turbozed]

Chirita must be playing really well.

Can say that again. Just beat Darko

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Can say that again. Just beat Darko

have to say, he actually has a very tough draw,

 

[Janard]

Doo looking like she was the one who retired for the past couple of years... or is ZYL just living up to her moniker of civil queen?

 

[NetProphet]

Duda seem confused about his servicegame which is unfortunate since serviceteaining with Bryant is public on YT. But the table surface seem to favor those that play with lots of spin.

Well service execution is one thing but service strategy against a national teammate who knows your game very well is another and probably nothing to do with Craig Bryant