WTT Champions Japan 2025 - 7-11 Aug 2025

[TensorBackhand]

Man, these two are playing like twins.

two crab style players. probably the 2 crabbiest players in the world.

I prefer WCQ style, more of a Muhammad Ali style in and out float like a butterfly sting like a bee

 

[Janard]

Bobrow: Man, look at that eye contact!

 

[golden_son]

The American Dream is over... Also, Kanak lost 😞. (My money's on Kanak to recover sooner.)

I think he surprised even himself with his results this tournament and I hope that builds confidence he can use to keep pushing deep into WTT events.

Personally I hope Truls takes the semi against WQC; the Truls-Harmimoto matchup is more appealing than a repeat of Vegas (and another WQC crowning).

 

[lightspin]

I find it funny that Bobrow implied something to the effect that Kanak took 17 months off or however long his suspension was. Certainly he wasn't allowed to play in any competitions but obviously he was still training 8 hours a day.

With that being said, Kanak keeps improving and playing really well. Hopefully he will keep playing for the next 10+ years and do some damage in major events.

With the Harimoto-Wang Hao handshake situation, since Harimoto's parents were both good players in China, Wang Hao might consider Harimoto Chinese to some extent. When the head coach is chewing someone out, other Chinese players are expected to sit there and wait until the beating is over. Then they can try to talk to the coach. Wang Hao might expect Harimoto to act this way and is wondering why is this player interrupting me when I am the head coach. I could be wrong but I think that dynamic was in play. If Koki Niwa had just won or Timo Boll (anyone wiithout Chinese ancestry) , Wang Hao probably would have stopped screaming at Xiang Peng long enough to do a proper handshake.

 

[golden_son]

...

With the Harimoto-Wang Hao handshake situation, since Harimoto's parents were both good players in China, Wang Hao might consider Harimoto Chinese to some extent. When the head coach is chewing someone out, other Chinese players are expected to sit there and wait until the beating is over. Then they can try to talk to the coach. Wang Hao might expect Harimoto to act this way and is wondering why is this player interrupting me when I am the head coach. I could be wrong but I think that dynamic was in play. If Koki Niwa had just won or Timo Boll (anyone wiithout Chinese ancestry) , Wang Hao probably would have stopped screaming at Xiang Peng long enough to do a proper handshake.

Even if so this is a public, international event. Harimoto can't be expected—by anybody, even Wang Hao—to just stand there and wait while the opposing coach finishes chewing out his player when cameras are on and Harimoto has an interview to get to. I imagine WH is aware of this. And if Harimoto were to skip the handshake because WH is "preoccupied," he'd look like the poor sport.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

The American Dream is over... Also, Kanak lost 😞. (My money's on Kanak to recover sooner.)

I think he surprised even himself with his results this tournament and I hope that builds confidence he can use to keep pushing deep into WTT events.

Personally I hope Truls takes the semi against WQC; the Truls-Harmimoto matchup is more appealing than a repeat of Vegas (and another WQC crowning).

Not sure what the public consensus is but the wins over Simon and Kao were not surprises to me and the win over Dang a mild surprise at most, I am pretty sure he would feel the same. Very good fortune with the draw too. Hoping for a Truls upset too for the Truls/Harimoto rematch after Truls got him 13-11 in the decider last year. But with WCQ in this current form, not happening lol.

 

[TampaBayTableTennis]

WCQ is incredible

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Stream is back, but match is boring. LSD vs Harimoto would've been better

Do you think the mature/H3+09c game of LSD would've beaten the immature/D05 game of Harimoto this time, or would it become 6 losses to 1 win?

 

[TensorBackhand]

WCQ is incredible

yeah seriously. He is like the Federer of TT. He has fluid movement, best finesse, best serve, best receive, best push, best counter-loop, and still as top tier power.

 

[TensorBackhand]

WCQ reminds me of Usyk in boxing. Left handed, great movement and best skill.

When he is on, WCQ often looks like the best player in TT history. His style is a mix of Ma Lin and ZJK.

Ma Long probably still beats him on pure power, but WCQ is more of a finesse and skill player.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Ma Long probably still beats him on pure power, but WCQ is more of a finesse and skill player.

Other way around

 

[TensorBackhand]

Ma Long is like Djokovic. He is just a scientific TT percentage winning machine. He is consistent, always plays the right shot and makes the right decision, he executes his strategy perfectly.

WCQ is like Federer. He is more of an artist and plays beautiful style. When he is on his game, his combinations just look unbeatable. But he is less consistent and his execution isn't as surefire as ML.

 

[Shine]

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.

You know you can talk to me directly like a man, right.
I could say the same for you and another commenter but I don't go low when others have not said anything to merit such a baseless accusation.
I and Zeio have had nuff disagreement over a wide range of issues from Hayata to India to WTT to our assessment of certain CNT players. Regulars here should know, which begs the question I won't pose to you.

 

[zeio]

Although Togami took a set, it was pretty meh since most of the points were Wang's error in initiating attacks

And Togami thought he had a chance after that game... LOL

 

[NextLevel]

Chen Xingtong is in the avatar state. Sun Yingsha had better enter it as well or she is going down.

 

[Janard]

SYS: Am I playing CM?

CXT: Wells, I was CM's nemesis for a good period.

 

[docbroke]

Amazing soft touch play by Truls in 4th game at 9-9 score.

 

[dingyibvs]

Yes, that's my girl Tong Tong! Silenced that fangirl crowd so good LMAO!

 

[NextLevel]

Pleasantly surprising result. Chen finally has something like the one win that Lin Gapyang never had lol.

 

[JackJohnson]

So happy for CXT. At the last Champions event where she lost against WYD in the final I didn’t expect her to ever win a Champions event as that was her best chance at getting one when the main China players were out but to do it at this event facing SYS in the final was definitely unexpected.