WTT Contender Almaty 2025 Sep 2-7

[TTTT]

Agent Tony... TTD for life!

Congratulations NextLevel and Tony: through your squabbling you have shot back up to #1 and #2 of "Top Contributers of the Month"! I suppose that leaderboard measures only quantity and not quality...

 

[mikeytt]

togamis best ever chance at a wtt ms title with jorgic out… let’s see what happens

 

[NextLevel]

Congratulations NextLevel and Tony: through your squabbling you have shot back up to #1 and #2 of "Top Contributers of the Month"! I suppose that leaderboard measures only quantity and not quality...

That's for people to judge. I just try to post what I find insightful. That I have to respond to people calling me grumpy just comes with the territory.

 

[NextLevel]

togamis best ever chance at a wtt ms title with jorgic out… let’s see what happens

Even with Jorgic, he has improved enough to make that not thr primary consideration. I suspect Chen is now the biggest hurdle.

 

[NextLevel]

Will Yoshiyama get a game?

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Sakura Yokoi has a ton of talent, but her shot selection and serve choice is questionable. Can't believe she couldn't recognize how many times she lost serving from the forehand corner. She's obviously a hard worker and beating SXY 3-0 is amazing so I hope she can make the mental adjustment to get to that next level.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

According to some experts, attackers never play for the expedite rule, @zeio. You must be hallucinating....

stop being grumpy old man.
i said, attackers don't go into a match strategy set to only play expedite rule - tell me one that starts with such strategy or coach that plans with such only?
start the match and play safe for all games so the expedite rule can come and then gamble 50-50

Players could change to it, if things are not going to plan, but there are other plans before expedite.

i'm not sure why you becoming so grumpy of late
first with mltt, then the Iranian kid and now this

 

[driversbeat]

Congratulations NextLevel and Tony: through your squabbling you have shot back up to #1 and #2 of "Top Contributers of the Month"! I suppose that leaderboard measures only quantity and not quality...

New thread: I'm not sure if I'll post for the next 4 years

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Congratulations NextLevel and Tony: through your squabbling you have shot back up to #1 and #2 of "Top Contributers of the Month"! I suppose that leaderboard measures only quantity and not quality...

Thank you to those giving me likes, I see they are about 50% of my ping pong balls.

For those that are new to it, I posted 73 post and gave 46 likes - these are my input to the forum.
while 123 gave me likes - these are other peoples input to the tally.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Barely any pro on the tour plays a ZLC, right?

Not "barely any"

 

[NextLevel]

stop being grumpy old man.
i said, attackers don't go into a match strategy set to only play expedite rule - tell me one that starts with such strategy or coach that plans with such only?
start the match and play safe for all games so the expedite rule can come and then gamble 50-50

Players could change to it, if things are not going to plan, but there are other plans before expedite.

i'm not sure why you becoming so grumpy of late
first with mltt, then the Iranian kid and now this

Why are you the only one who considers me grumpy have you given that sone thought?

We aren't really arguing substantial stuff. The simple way to answer your question is that any idea that is useful during a match can also be planned before a match if the dynamics were expected before the match started. But if you want to continue this feel free. At least we have gone from "attackers dont play for expedite" to " attackers dont start matches playing for expedite". Attackers dont start matches trying to win deuce in the final game either. A lot depends on how the opponent is expected to play and what works.

 

[zzzuppp]

Nobody's mentioned Katsman or Grebnev yet. You may recall they were European MD champions back in 2020 since when they haven't been playing in any majors (since they're Russian). They seem to be playing in Kazakhstan as stateless individuals, but paired up again to reach the SF of the doubles, while Katsman got through the singles qualifications and went pretty well in the main singles. Obviously they have lacked top-class practice. Anyone know what they are planning? migrating to another state?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Why are you the only one who considers me grumpy have you given that sone thought?

We aren't really arguing substantial stuff. The simple way to answer your question is that any idea that is useful during a match can also be planned before a match if the dynamics were expected before the match started. But if you want to continue this feel free. At least we have gone from "attackers dont play for expedite" to " attackers dont start matches playing for expedite". Attackers dont start matches trying to win deuce in the final game either.

and then you going to remember this and continue with it for how long? 1 day, 1 month, 6 month?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Nobody's mentioned Katsman or Grebnev yet. You may recall they were European MD champions back in 2020 since when they haven't been playing in any majors (since they're Russian). They seem to be playing in Kazakhstan as stateless individuals, but paired up again to reach the SF of the doubles, while Katsman got through the singles qualifications and went pretty well in the main singles. Obviously they have lacked top-class practice. Anyone know what they are planning? migrating to another state?

i'm not sure the politics behind it, but are they allowed to migrate?

I have seen some Russian players in various leagues and obviously with zero international stats of recent, one would assume they are unknown, but are really strong and in a way dangerous - since so many people judge ability based on internationals.

Fisu games is clear that the sport is still alive there.

 

[tzifos]

Yeap! Sato needs to improve her attacking shots especially from FH side and also attack more. There were too many "easy" balls in her FH to attack but she chosen to "cut" them. Maybe 20 years earlier that would be the best choice but today.... nope, you got to attack more!

Hasimoto is doing this and she is doing this very well!

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Yeap! Sato needs to improve her attacking shots especially from FH side and also attack more. There were too many "easy" balls in her FH to attack but she chosen to "cut" them. Maybe 20 years earlier that would be the best choice but today.... nope, you got to attack more!

Hasimoto is doing this and she is doing this very well!

this is where i miss JSH
he can go on top spin rallies and out topspin attacking players at their game.

I think no matter what kind of defensive game you have, you need to attack.
even today, there are coaches that teach kids to play majority defense and have zero attack because in the younger age groups, just getting the ball back will win you medals, but after 15 years old when the players are no longer kids but slowing becoming stronger, that is when attacking is needed, and also you will see a drop in level of these nonattackable defense players (and this is both choppers and chop blockers)

a bit of background, I'm not so much into daily coaching now, but I am involved with a lot of teams and still visit various high school teams, and I see a lot of these kind of players - especially female, that only start focusing on the offensive game from 14 or 15 years old. And when I ask them, some of them even said the elementary school coach will scold them if they attack. I am speechless.

it is like academic kids and you tell them to only focus on the subject that counts (for the teacher/coach) and the others they can fail.

 

[NextLevel]

and then you going to remember this and continue with it for how long? 1 day, 1 month, 6 month?

Well since you have clarified that you don't think any attacker starts thd match looking for expedite,I will leave it alone and bring it up when an attacker actually does it very obviously at the start of a match.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Well since you have clarified that you don't think any attacker starts thd match looking for expedite,I will leave it alone and bring it up when an attacker actually does it very obviously at the start of a match.

lol, you want to remember things forever, can't stop you.

anyways, how is Liam
any news of him not making it for MLTT this season?

I didn't ask how is his injury is, but for 3 sources asking me for his (injury) replacements in the space of 2 days, feels like the French club is very desperate (obviously with registration ending, they had to go at triple the pace)

 

[NextLevel]

Is this going to be the best match Honoka has ever played?

 

[NextLevel]

Is this going to be the best match Honoka has ever played?

I spoke way too soon....