Europe Smash Sweden August 14-24 2025

[S2000]

Too much crab style, too reactive. LSD is similar to Harimoto that he relies too much on his rally to win.

Needs more Ali and Usyk, more technical and creative.

Actually Truls was very fast also so not so easy to win against with his current level of play. It is the third time he is in a major final WC and Olympics before. He was able to keep his Cool at the end. I doubted it for a while. LSD did a great match therefore the extremely enjoyable match. Take the last point as an example of the level. In such a game it is not surprising that the players might loose

One of the worst world championship silver medallists of time and a guy with a game the Chinese team has solved just won a grand smash. Well done.

Worst silver medal champions? Come on he has an olympic silver in MS and team.

 

[NetProphet]

I make a point about atm, you argue against "at one point", that's moving the goal posts. You don't have a ground to stand on so you jump to the next nearest heap of trash, no offense.

Know when to quit.

Dude, you have no clue what you are talking about.
You wrote "Lin Shidong is the single worst world number one I've seen in my life" followed by "world number one doesn't mean the best player in the world".
My response was that he absolutely was the best player at one point, as in, at that moment in time was without question playing better than everyone else and that the no 1 spot is (apart from my previous point) earned on merit through consistency.
Your response was the clueless statement that "The best table tennis player in the world world right now is still without a doubt Fan Zhendong" which I blew holes a mile wide in because it's absolute rubbish.

You then said I am making a straw man argument 😂
I don't think you can even remember what you wrote much less the way in which this discussion developed.
Do me a favour dude, be careful next time you leave the house and try not to get lost on the way home eh!

 

[NextLevel]

What a game that was. Lin shidong looping mid distance especially with his bh was so nice to watch as if he is playing a drill.

Key point was that lin stopped flicking and just generally short game not good enough. Truls could attack just too many

Both players needed more time and opening into a Truls counter could loae the point instantly.

Lin looks like he’s number 5 not 1

I don't know what you were watching, that looked like a world #1 to me who just struggled with thr home crowd advantage of his opponent but showed why he has the heart of a champion. Truls had to take it from him.

 

[Snek]

Truls had enough luck too. 3 lucky points already in the 1st set. Even luckier draw. Felix, Tomo and Hugo were on the same side of the draw but lost shockingly. Relatively easy route to final from Truls. Best player he beat before today was Duda...

 

[NextLevel]

Actually Truls was very fast also so not so easy to win against with his current level of play. It is the third time he is in a major final WC and Olympics before. He was able to keep his Cool at the end. I doubted it for a while. LSD did a great match therefore the extremely enjoyable match. Take the last point as an example of the level. In such a game it is not surprising that the players might loose

Worst silver medal champions? Come on he has an olympic silver in MS and team.

Yes the statement was made before he won those things. I just find it sad that people continue to pretend these young players are not working on their games. If anyone told me that the day would come that Truls would get LinDhifong to block/counter backhand openers off the table, i would have said I had to see it to believe it. Seeing was believing today.

 

[NextLevel]

Truls had enough luck too. 3 lucky points already in the 1st set. Even luckier draw. Felix, Tomo and Hugo were on the same side of the draw but lost shockingly. Relatively easy route to final from Truls. Best player he beat before today was Duda...

Yeah but I think with the crowd he would have handled all those guys. He played at that level.

 

[NextLevel]

No doubt about Lin's tenacity, but this kid hasn't trusted his forehand enough, so many chances he could have gone for an over the table loop but instead play touches and let Truls get the initiative

Something to work on, something to work on. You can't build Rome in a day, no matter how hard you work. Everyone has gaps. How you shield and protect them is what keeps you hard to beat.

 

[M51]

Dude, you have no clue what you are talking about.
You wrote "Lin Shidong is the single worst world number one I've seen in my life" followed by "world number one doesn't mean the best player in the world".
My response was that he absolutely was the best player at one point, as in, at that moment in time was without question playing better than everyone else and that the no 1 spot is (apart from my previous point) earned on merit through consistency.
Your response was the clueless statement that "The best table tennis player in the world world right now is still without a doubt Fan Zhendong" which I blew holes a mile wide in because it's absolute rubbish.

You then said I am making a straw man argument 😂
I don't think you can even remember what you wrote much less the way in which this discussion developed.
Do me a favour dude, be careful next time you leave the house and try not to get lost on the way home eh!

You're way too invested in this.

Nothing good ever came out of adding ad hominem attacks to strawman non-argument.

Back off, rethink, put off your phone... There's a finite number of minutes remaining in your life.

 

[S2000]

Yes the statement was made before he won those things. I just find it sad that people continue to pretend these young players are not working on their games. If anyone told me that the day would come that Truls would get LinDhifong to block/counter backhand openers off the table, i would have said I had to see it to believe it. Seeing was believing today.

OK I very much agree with your statement above. I was just opposing the judgment of worst. In my opinion it is very difficult to compare so I think we should avoid such statements. It is very easy to criticize young players - there are way to large expectations upon them and putting unrealistic pressure upon them. Truls early success in WC is such an example when it all depends upon the day, the circumstances and of course tactics, nerve etc. However, he had already then a great sense of tactics and a different highly technical style that of course has become much more mature. Therefore, we sometimes get such surprises when a young player breaks through like Lin Shidong last year. Of course they work very hard on development. This could be seen on Truls game today when he showed a new level in his play and tactics. Not least he also had the confidence - this is probably also a part of the long tradition from the 70s, 80s and 90s highttime era of Swedish/European table tennis. Bengtsson, Johansson, Waldner, Persson and Appelgren and a few more they all know about how to develop that part of the game - confidence. Anyhow, one could also see how adaptable Lin Shidong become later in the game just to loose to a hungrier(?) Truls. Be sure that the Chinese will study this match and try to learn. Still it seems that Truls has got a can opener for Asians right now. The matches against An and Sora were really fierce also. Maybe we had easier to believe as home crowd but there was knowledge that the Chinese could be beaten. Question was the level of European players there? It was.
Anyhow, seeing the influence of home crowd, this is what many of South American, European players face in the matches over in China, Singapore, Japan etc. Not so small thing as a bed you are used to sleeping in at night can be very deciding.

We very lucky to have Waldner as a commentator in the Swedish TV. He really could highlight the technical finess of both players with, still, a great passion. He also really highlighted the ladies single final. Yesterday, we had another legend, Appelgren, also really good very much understanding and explaining the different styles of play - thank you both!

 

[RefereeNumber2]

Just watched the match — it was played at an incredibly high level throughout. Having Truls win this event in Sweden with the crowd going nuts is fantastic for the sport and showcases the potential for the WTT Smash format. I really hope these tournaments can stick around and build enough history and tradition to be fully considered majors (they’re already majors in terms of ranking points and prize money). A tournament and especially a final match like this one is how the prestige and importance starts to build.

Lin Shidong is a worthy #1 but he does have weaknesses. Many have observed he’s a bit lacking power and aggressiveness to open at/over the table, which can be exploited. I actually saw some nice signs of progress from him this tournament, especially in the QF against Dang Qiu. But even with those limitations he’s one of the most fluid and gifted players in the open rally I’ve ever seen, and his matches have a tendency to produce a ridiculous number of highlight shots and rallies even when he loses. And he’s only 20 years old. I personally can’t understand disliking him; he’s incredibly fun to watch and having him around at the top of the game is good for the sport.

 

[passifid]

Dude, you have no clue what you are talking about.
You wrote "Lin Shidong is the single worst world number one I've seen in my life" followed by "world number one doesn't mean the best player in the world".
My response was that he absolutely was the best player at one point, as in, at that moment in time was without question playing better than everyone else and that the no 1 spot is (apart from my previous point) earned on merit through consistency.
Your response was the clueless statement that "The best table tennis player in the world world right now is still without a doubt Fan Zhendong" which I blew holes a mile wide in because it's absolute rubbish.

You then said I am making a straw man argument 😂
I don't think you can even remember what you wrote much less the way in which this discussion developed.
Do me a favour dude, be careful next time you leave the house and try not to get lost on the way home eh!

Sorry you don't think fanzhendong is the best player in the world?

The only other answer is SunYingSha because she is domming the women's scene. But men no one is close to him overall

 

[sebi]

Great final, with crazy rallies. Lin Shidong might have lost but i think this was the first time Chinese fans actually cheered for him no for team china. Maybe he won in that aspect. Also I think he is working a lot on his forehand and this might mess with his playing style. He seem unsure in his play.
I don't like Trules but he deserved the win he played out of his mind.

 

[NetProphet]

Sorry you don't think fanzhendong is the best player in the world?

The only other answer is SunYingSha because she is domming the women's scene. But men no one is close to him overall

Really. OK.
Can you please prove to me unequivocally how FZD is the best player in the world right now.
Thank you

 

[Richie]

Unbelievable.. I wasn't supposed to be there on the final day but a friend wrote to me last minute to book tickets for the final. So glad I went.

 

[sebi]

Really. OK.
Can you please prove to me unequivocally how FZD is the best player in the world right now.
Thank you

Won olympic gold. Took a break came back won against everyone in the Chinese super league. We will see how he does in the bundesliga.

 

[M51]

Really. OK.
Can you please prove to me unequivocally how FZD is the best player in the world right now.
Thank you

Why does this upset you so much?

Did Fan Zhendong kill your dog or something?

Wanna see something unequivocal?

 

[RefereeNumber2]

Sorry you don't think fanzhendong is the best player in the world?

The only other answer is SunYingSha because she is domming the women's scene. But men no one is close to him overall

I’d take FZD against anyone else in the world right now in a head-to-head match, so I agree he’s the “best” in that sense. He’s well-rested and in great form based on his super league performance.

Where I disagree is with anyone saying that makes him the “real number one.” He wasn’t even ranked #1 right after winning the Olympics. The grind of the tour was wearing him down, and he had taken a number of losses in 2024 (including a beatdown from Lin Shidong at the Singapore Smash) before taking the gold medal. Holding the top rank requires consistently reaching the final stages of big tournaments, and I think it would be very difficult for FZD to maintain that level today.

Call it a flaw of the ranking system if you like, but it should not break anyone’s brain to hold these two ideas in your head at the same time.

 

[SFF_lib]

I'll say WCQ is moderately stronger than LSD.
FZD, if he plays now, is clearly stronger. He beat LSD twice in Chinese super league is the evidence.
Tomo, Felix and Hugo would not be the underdog(maybe up hands) facing LSD.
LSD has been hot for over half years, his mystic power as relatively unknown player is mostly gone and weakness is exposed, which is why his winning rate has noticeably dropped a notch in recent months.

At the end of last year Xu Xin was interviewed and said, LSD's rapid rise will hit a wall soon.

He's right, it's very hard to maintain the same win rate over a long period. But it's life, LSD will learn and grow again.

 

[SFF_lib]

Truls had enough luck too. 3 lucky points already in the 1st set. Even luckier draw. Felix, Tomo and Hugo were on the same side of the draw but lost shockingly. Relatively easy route to final from Truls. Best player he beat before today was Duda...

Was he lucky to meet the then WR1 WCQ in R32 back in Paris Olympic?

 

[SFF_lib]

OK I very much agree with your statement above. I was just opposing the judgment of worst. In my opinion it is very difficult to compare so I think we should avoid such statements. It is very easy to criticize young players - there are way to large expectations upon them and putting unrealistic pressure upon them. Truls early success in WC is such an example when it all depends upon the day, the circumstances and of course tactics, nerve etc. However, he had already then a great sense of tactics and a different highly technical style that of course has become much more mature. Therefore, we sometimes get such surprises when a young player breaks through like Lin Shidong last year. Of course they work very hard on development. This could be seen on Truls game today when he showed a new level in his play and tactics. Not least he also had the confidence - this is probably also a part of the long tradition from the 70s, 80s and 90s highttime era of Swedish/European table tennis. Bengtsson, Johansson, Waldner, Persson and Appelgren and a few more they all know about how to develop that part of the game - confidence. Anyhow, one could also see how adaptable Lin Shidong become later in the game just to loose to a hungrier(?) Truls. Be sure that the Chinese will study this match and try to learn. Still it seems that Truls has got a can opener for Asians right now. The matches against An and Sora were really fierce also. Maybe we had easier to believe as home crowd but there was knowledge that the Chinese could be beaten. Question was the level of European players there? It was.
Anyhow, seeing the influence of home crowd, this is what many of South American, European players face in the matches over in China, Singapore, Japan etc. Not so small thing as a bed you are used to sleeping in at night can be very deciding.

We very lucky to have Waldner as a commentator in the Swedish TV. He really could highlight the technical finess of both players with, still, a great passion. He also really highlighted the ladies single final. Yesterday, we had another legend, Appelgren, also really good very much understanding and explaining the different styles of play - thank you both!

You are very very lucky. I wish I could understand Swedish and listen to Waldner's wisdom