WTT Champions Japan 2025 - 7-11 Aug 2025

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Here's a clip of the Harimoto/WH handshake incident:

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I didn't notice it the first time, but after trying to shake hands with Wang Hao, Harimoto turns around again and shakes hands with the air. LOL

i read on a Taiwanese group talking about this incident, one of the posters said this is the 3rd incident in recent times of Wang Hao not looking HT in the eye of a hand shake

 

[ThePongCommenter]

This is cute, Obviously a bit different from the situation I got tangled in not long ago, but I'm surprised we now distinguish between verbatim reports, and opinions. That was exactly what I stood for but I got flamed. Cos when the person in question claimed in a thread that "Rumors say so and so person was barred from playing" and I dismissed that obvious opinion as just "rumors", I came under fire because I am not in contact with so and so player like he is. Cool.

I didn't take a stance with my post to zeio but was just presenting an opportunity for everyone to wait until Tony came back and clarified whether what he said was a direct quote from DHK or his own interpretation based on his conversation. Specifically so that we might not need to hijack another thread with more of this type of exchange.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

No. I don't like him

Have you ever heard of him?

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Thanks for the cut. Wow. Tomo was obviously very pissed. He felt Wang Hao dismissed his performance as if 'it's not you did well but my player did poorly'.
Compared to other countries, Chinese coaches didn't fare well in terms of manners, respecting to others.
I especially dislike the way they publicly scolding their losing (sometimes even winning) players. As an emerging superpower, Chinese coaches need to pay attention to their public image.

To be frank, when Tomo is on, none of Chinese can seriously challenge him except WCQ assuming he is also on.

"Obviously very pissed" seems hyperbolic and reading into it too much - looked to me like a cheeky reaction like TH tends to be off the court.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

"Obviously very pissed" seems hyperbolic and reading into it too much - looked to me like just a cheeky reaction like TH tends to be off the court.

well, since I am a WH fan as a player, he probably has the worse stress between him and Ma Lin.....
and its not just today

you can see that he was very well focus on scolding XP and probably didn't even focus on HT handshake, as he wanted to get those 1000s of words out within a minute.
I personally think it is silly to be still talking in public like that after a loss, they could move behind the curtains and do the talking.

 

[backspacer]

What do you think of just plain no coaches allowed (for all matches/everyone)? like in tennis - which WTT is trying so hard to clone for table tennis.

I'm for no coaches. Plenty of players on the tour don't have one or can't afford one and from personal experience I had enough matches turned around because my opponent got coached while I didn't.

 

[piligrim]

Have you ever heard of him?

Yes. Watched him few times.
What makes you think I never heard about him?

 

[driversbeat]

What do you think of just plain no coaches allowed (for all matches/everyone)? like in tennis - which WTT is trying so hard to clone for table tennis.


Yep, this is terrible and I think WTT need to address this, especially toilet gate that is probably worse of an offense imo

Coach interactions make good TV. Don't think this would be a good idea from a commercial nor play quality viewpoint. They can bring back coaches for same association matches with mechanisms in place to punish suspected match fixing, which I guess was why no friendly fire coaching was introduced in the first place.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I didn't take a stance with my post to zeio but was just presenting an opportunity for everyone to wait until Tony came back and clarified whether what he said was a direct quote from DHK or his own interpretation based on his conversation. Specifically so that we might not need to hijack another thread with more of this type of exchange.

it is very clear, for the likes of zeio and shine, I really need to get written and signed statements, with video live recording of the statement being drafted, signed and possibly stamp by attorney at law after the players gives oath - all on live feeds, for me to share what I know.

with me being a public figure on TTD and the internet, not enough to justify my credibility? coming from those 2 that have no guts to become public, either by name, photo or video.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Coach interactions make good TV. Don't think this would be a good idea from a commercial nor play quality viewpoint.

could you say Tennis would be better off with coach interactions?
I honestly not sure how strong commercial plays, but play quality would be affected for sure.

They can bring back coaches for same association matches with mechanisms in place to punish suspected match fixing, which I guess was why no friendly fire coaching was introduced in the first place.

they didn't ban coaches for same association matches, but rather it is a culture.
It all started off if you are a coach for player A and player B, and when A plays B, who do you sit and coach?
its very awkward, so to remain neutral, is to not coach either one of them.

Regarding match fixing - having a coach there or not, would still happen. Match fixing is another topic all together.

 

[USAer]

well, since I am a WH fan as a player, he probably has the worse stress between him and Ma Lin.....
and its not just today

you can see that he was very well focus on scolding XP and probably didn't even focus on HT handshake, as he wanted to get those 1000s of words out within a minute.
I personally think it is silly to be still talking in public like that after a loss, they could move behind the curtains and do the talking.

It’s not just the handshake, but publicly berating his player also shows disrespect of HT by WH. The message is something like, how could you lose to that $&!?!!

 

[rpb23]

WTT Champions Yokohama 2025 WS QF
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WTT Champions Yokohama 2025 MS QF
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Chinese women's dominance continues and multi-polar world in men's. Japanese girls tried but just not good enough.

In men's semi, one from China, one from Japan, one from Europe and a unexpected but welcoming one from America.
However, if Truls doesn't outperform, the final will be Asians.

 

[rpb23]

It’s not just the handshake, but publicly berating his player also shows disrespect of HT by WH. The message is something like, how could you lose to that $&!?!!

By taking two games from Tomo, I do think XP performed really well. However, Wang Hao probably put a lot of effort preparing XP for the match and believing XP could have won the match if he could...

Two Chinese coaches surprised me quite a bit. One was former men's head coach QZJ and WH. Both seemed a super 'good boy' type players in their playing days, gentle and obedient. However, once they became coaches, they showed a mean and rough side of personality, often scolding and yelling publicly to players unless he is one of established ones like Ma Long.
Maybe coaches under tremendous pressure to win, maybe that's what they were treated as players, whatever the reasons, they should pay attention to their public images.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Two Chinese coaches surprised me quite a bit. One was former men's head coach QZJ and WH. Both seemed a super 'good boy' type players in their playing days, gentle and obedient. However, once they became coaches, they showed a mean and rough side of personality, often scolding and yelling publicly to players unless he is one of established ones like Ma Long.
Maybe coaches under tremendous pressure to win, maybe that's what they were treated as players, whatever the reasons, they should pay attention to their public images.

i believe pressure can really break you and change you

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Chinese women's dominance continues and multi-polar world in men's. Japanese girls tried but just not good enough.

In men's semi, one from China, one from Japan, one from Europe and a unexpected but welcoming one from America.
However, if Truls doesn't outperform, the final will be Asians.

Tomo will be the heavy favorite to win, but Kanak's chances are not zero. I think Kanak has one of the best push games in TT. He's good at eliciting a "weak" attack from his push due to great placement and the ability to take spin and pace off the ball. I put weak in quotes because the opponent's attack is reasonably strong but it's in comparison to Kanak's exceptionally good blocking skills. He's also added quite a bit of power to his forehand. Maybe Tomo will be too much for him, but we'll see. Neither of them ventures too far off the table so should be interesting to see who can hold the table better.

 

[NextLevel]

This Truls, as I see him today, can be in the final tomorrow

The draw is not his friend. I agree on his form, but the semifinal draw is not his friend.

 

[TensorBackhand]

Why is CNT the weakest it has ever been? Apart from WCQ (who himself can be inconsistent), there are really no strong players. LSD had a nice run, but seems to be falling back to earth.

CNT used to always have 3 strong players at any one time. ML, ZJK, FZD, Xu Xin, Ma Lin.

 

[TTLOVE]

no, so, tell me, who are you again? lol

aren't you the one that is closely knitted to CNT?
and the one that been dodging @ThePongCommenter's question about your CNT references?
you must not be like zeio, dodging questions forever.

lol

It almost seems as if Zeio has one or more multiple accounts that he uses to validate the nonsense he writes with his main account, and if that were true, I wouldn't be surprised at all.

 

[Dr Evil]

Neither of them ventures too far off the table so should be interesting to see who can hold the table better.

If Kanak has to step back he's lost. Maybe Harimoto will step back and try to blow him away to please the home crowd. Then Kanak's got a chance.

 

[NextLevel]

If Kanak has to step back he's lost. Maybe Harimoto will step back and try to blow him away to please the home crowd. Then Kanak's got a chance.

I don't think Kanak holding the table is as big a deal as it used to be, same with Harimoto.though both are much moee dangerous when their opponent is unable to force them back significantly. Both though clearly have enough power if not consistently to hit through people on demand.