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

[JackJohnson]

https://joola.com/blogs/major-leagu...ity-recap/zhou-qihao-rising-through-the-ranks

Probably a not-yet-released JOOLA shoe. "New blade in hand, and new shoes on feet"?

If he was wearing Joola shoes I am really surprised the CNT have allowed him to wear them.

The only reason why CNT would allow it is if his current Lining shoes are broken as it takes awhile for shoes to break in.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

If he was wearing Joola shoes I am really surprised the CNT have allowed him to wear them.

The only reason why CNT would allow it is if his current Lining shoes are broken as it takes awhile for shoes to break in.

Why are you surprised that they would allow him to wear his sponsor's shoes?

 

[5545]

Korea is really at lost for consistent high-quality WS players.....

 

[JackJohnson]

Why are you surprised that they would allow him to wear his sponsor's shoes?

Because the CNT usually doesn’t let their players wear their sponsored shoes.

Fan Zhendong is sponsored with Butterfly and I never seen him wearing Butterfly shoes when competing. He always wore Lining shoes when competing.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Got it. When you say you "have" these players that means you are an agent representing them in contract discussions with clubs and leagues?

correct

 

[ThePongCommenter]

I wasn't blaming Shin for the country being worse than before, but the point is that Shin cannot lead (or she has not yet shown the capability) to carry her country like sister Jeon did.

Jeon Jihee acted like a real SK No 1 when she was in her prime. That is even more evident in WT.

Shin has yet to done so, but she needs to because that is the responsibility that comes as being on top of your country. Hopefully we see that soon.
All in all, SYB is a decent player but I still feel like she shouldn't be able to come on top of a country so strong with her questionable performances. It is a sad reflection of her country

In which events or time period did Jeon Jihee carry her country?

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Because the CNT usually doesn’t let their players wear their sponsored shoes.

Fan Zhendong is sponsored with Butterfly and I never seen him wearing Butterfly shoes when competing. He always wore Lining shoes when competing.

Is that because the CNT doesn't let him or because his Butterfly contract doesn't have a shoe stipulation?

 

[turbozed]

Yeah. Something must have been really wrong vs the display she had in her CIC match. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a death in the family given how she played...

That was just really bizarre. Unless there was some sort of injury (and nothing indicates that to be the case) that might be one of the biggest performance gaps in a single day I've seen since I started watching TT.

If there really were no outside variables, then that sort of wild inconsistency makes it unlikely she'll displace SYB as the top workhorse for SK anytime soon.

 

[JackJohnson]

Is that because the CNT doesn't let him or because his Butterfly contract doesn't have a shoe stipulation?

I don’t know but so far other than Zhou Qihao every single CNT member that I’ve seen playing recently at WTT or ITTF events are wearing Lining shoes.

 

[turbozed]

I don’t know but so far other than Zhou Qihao every single CNT member that I’ve seen playing recently at WTT or ITTF events are wearing Lining shoes.

You sure they've been wearing Lining? I made a mental note a while back that some Chinese players wearing Speedart shoes. Or at least they were wearing BOA style laced shoes, and I don't think Lining has any of that style.

 

[JackJohnson]

You sure they've been wearing Lining? I made a mental note a while back that some Chinese players wearing Speedart shoes. Or at least they were wearing BOA style laced shoes, and I don't think Lining has any of that style.

I thought Zhou Qihao shoes might be Speed Art as well as the logo on the shoes looks similar but it was really hard to see. Could also be Nittaku shoes as well as Speed Art and Nittaku logos look similar.

Lining do have some BOA fit shoes the one Wang Chuqin wears is Lining BOA fit. I believe Lining does have other colors with BOA fit shoes as well.

 

[5545]

In which events or time period did Jeon Jihee carry her country?

I was going to drop this subject but since you mentioned it, here's the answer:

For like the past 7 years when she wasn't injured???? (so usually)
____________________
Just look at her performance in Teams from Tokyo-Paris compared to her teammate, for example:

Tokyo OG: Didn't lose a single match in WT but lost because of her teammates
Busan WTTTC: Carried her team completely despite not being the highest ranked player and beat everyone except China
Hangzhou Asian Games: Won all her matches (Also beat Hirano to score the only point SK got against Japan who they lost to)
WTTTC 2022: Jeon didn't play well but it's not like SYB, SHW, etc. came anyways
Paris OG: Won all her matches in Teams AGAIN (the team did pretty well too)
_____________________________________
You get the idea, she contributed pretty well in most Teams tournament and was most consistent in singles since what, 2017? I don't think she is an ever disputed "first-sister".

I took a look at her 2024 performances (which was not even her peak year). Seems like she just lost to Chinese and Japanese players. A much better No 1 than someone who is WR #9 yet has literally not beaten any Top 10 player in WTT ranking in her life while consistently loosing to lower ranked players.

Unlike some people I do not believe in erasing a player's past records for merely playing one good match at one big tournament. YMY is also Olympic 4th, would you guys also say she deserved to be in the Top 10?

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

ZHU Yuling up 2-0 against Miu HIRANO !!!

(EDIT)

and its 3-0 after 11-3 in G3.. wow...

I don't understand why Hirano didn't change anything in G3. ZYL was winning all the BH to BH rallies...
ZYL looks quite slower than in her prime but she's well covering the table without much moving and her BH quality is intact.

maybe her biggest win since her comeback ?

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Ouch! Horrible start to the year for Hirano

 

[5545]

ZHU Yuling up 2-0 against Miu HIRANO !!!

(EDIT)

and its 3-0 after 11-3 in G3.. wow...

I don't understand why Hirano didn't change anything in G3. ZYL was winning all the BH to BH rallies...
ZYL looks quite slower than in her prime but she's well covering the table without much moving and her BH quality is intact.

maybe her biggest win since her comeback ?

Definetely doesn't look good for her when even Kyoka can beat ZYL.......

 

[zeio]

Poor tactics for Hirano from the get-go, hoping to outlast ZYL with a control game. Should've gone with her speedy game but with some spin variations when it gets tight. There were several points in which ZYL clearly couldn't keep up.

WS R32
ZYL 3-0 Hirano (8, 13, 3)

 

[NextLevel]

Past her prime Zhu Yuling (30) beats a Hirano(24) whose status is very unclear - she should be in her prime by age but is past her prime by achievements...

 

[JackJohnson]

Any reason why Quek Izaac/Koen Pang not competing in Mens doubles together for this event? They did well in the WTT Finals in Japan last year when they beat Xiang Peng/Yuan Licen

 

[NextLevel]

Prime Anton Kallberg (27) struggles to beat past his prime Maharu Yoshimura (31)...

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

...
A much better No 1 than someone who is WR #9 yet has literally not beaten any Top 10 player in WTT ranking in her life while consistently loosing to lower ranked players.
...

She doesn't have to beat anyone above her. She just needs to fend off those ranked below her. How about the good players she's beaten ranked below her? Hirano, Batra, Diaz, JCH, KM, Miwa, Paranang, YXX, Nagasaki, Kihara, Szocs, JJH, Sawettabut, etc. I do think it's going to be tough for her to remain in the top 10 because a number of Chinese and Japanese players are looking to break into the top 10.