WTT Champions Macao 2025 - 9-14 Sep 2025

[NextLevel]

What did Zhang Jike say?
The world is really strong and LSD has time. He probably has one of the greatest backhands of all time and is very jung.

He said that you can't win with a backhand oriented style and implied that was the major issue that cost LSD vs Hugo. Things like age, pressure of leading the team, player development and global competition all got relegated behind style issues of forehand vs backhand. No doubt, forehand focused play usually focuses on a certain athleticism but as players like Hugo and Fan have shown (and arguably Wang Hao as well), it is less about the orientation and more about a commitment of some sort to athleticism.

 

[M51]

My prediction for tomorrow:

Lind - Calderano 4:2
Wang Chuqin - Jang Woojin 4:1

Final - slight edge to WCQ.

 

[TensorBackhand]

He said that you can't win with a backhand oriented style and implied that was the major issue that cost LSD vs Hugo. Things like age, pressure of leading the team, player development and global competition all got relegated behind style issues of forehand vs backhand. No doubt, forehand focused play usually focuses on a certain athleticism but as players like Hugo and Fan have shown (and arguably Wang Hao as well), it is less about the orientation and more about a commitment of some sort to athleticism.

Why should we listen to Zhang Jike? what does he know?

TTD experts know best and we should keep teaching crab style. Stand in the middle of the table and hope and pray that your opponent makes a lot of errors. I mean just look at how much Harimoto improved. He has special magic that can "make his opponent have unforced errors".

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

What a badass !!!

A few lines down, he also tells us Redbull is his secret. Actually I’m also boosting my performance with this stuff 😂 as well

 

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What a badass !!!

A few lines down, he also tells us Redbull is his secret. Actually I’m also boosting my performance with this stuff 😂 as well

I have a tournament tomorrow and have to get up at 5.30AM. Coffee and energy drinks will have to carry me throughout it

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

I want Anders vs JWJ.

Then this shall go down in history as the wildest Champion event ever!

 

[Der_Echte]

Many good athletes have similar issues, it can be helped by the right kind of training.

Playing serious volleyball in position of LIBERO as a youth is some of the best falling down to ground and surviving the impact training for this.

 

[NextLevel]

I

Why should we listen to Zhang Jike? what does he know?

TTD experts know best and we should keep teaching crab style. Stand in the middle of the table and hope and pray that your opponent makes a lot of errors. I mean just look at how much Harimoto improved. He has special magic that can "make his opponent have unforced errors".

A couple of things to note:

1. Such comments when they are genuinely constructive are usually made behind closed doors unless they are being used to bring pressure on the player.
2. In the context of whar Lin Shidong was facing at the age and ranking he had, there were no comparables other maybe Fan Zhendong. You would have to find an event where Ma Long lost to a player and the hopes of the CNT were as a result pinned on FZD to find an adequate parallel here. Why Lin Shidong's style should be the culprit after Hugo has beaten Wang is an open question.
3. ZJK is a extremely accomplished player and former singles world champion. He has also been a subject of notoriety in recent years. Players of his stature usually are working with the Chinese table tennis association in some capacity. There was open speculation on what motivated his comments. Besides that, nothing he said isn't traditional table tennis wisdom in China or other parts of the world (forehand should be primary weapon of a top player because of the athletic options it promotes), it is what you ascribe to it because he said it. As i have explained elsewhere, blaming a backhand oriented style for why a player lost a match is uninsightful in the absence of what specific things the player did or didn't do because of that style or how the opponent negated that style.
4. My opinion on Harimoto is that he is recovering from an injury. But if he decides to continue to hold the table that will be his problem if he does so injured. You obviously feel differently and that is fine. He has a lot of table tennis coming up and Xue Fei will not be the only player who knows how to hit his middle if the issue is he wants to play a style that loses to lower rated players.

 

[Der_Echte]

I have a tournament tomorrow and have to get up at 5.30AM. Coffee and energy drinks will have to carry me throughout it

Sometimes it is too late in the preparation cycle to do much more if not already done.

One does what one can to make due of one's mental energy before matchday.

Another way to help this is to go to tourneys with friends and a common supportive mission.

Sometimes, if you are a veteran of tourneys, you see many of the same competitors. In this situation, developed after many years, the competitors will give you support and mental energy, since all are doing the same mission together.

Sometimes, such players may be termed "Frienimies" (a combo of friend and enemy) and it is perfectly right. One can be one the other side of the battle often, but still have good relation and respect for each other.

 

[M51]

ZJK is a extremely accomplished player and former singles world champion. He has also been a subject of notoriety in recent years.

Have any of the allegations against him actually been proven?

I remember there being some really heavy shit that probably would have landed him behind bars if proven true, like selling revenge porn of his ex.

 

[NextLevel]

Calderano - Lind 4 - 0.
Wang - Jang 4 - 0

Wang 4-1 Calderano.

 

[NextLevel]

Have any of the allegations against him actually been proven?

I remember there being some really heavy shit that probably would have landed him behind bars if proven true, like selling revenge porn of his ex.

I don't think anything has to be proven, the reputational damage speaks for itself. There is some cultural stuff related to sexual differences as well to account for. But people closer to China can answer your question better so I do not misrepresent the situation or the dynamics beyond stating observable facts.

 

[Der_Echte]

No changes to the match. It would be fascinating to do an experiment where Jang was raised in China and we see how his game turned out (Chinese coaches always say this about the top Nigerians lol). You don't get players as fast as Jang growing on trees. He ans An might very well have been World Champs playing for China lol...

And on a side note, not sure who is doing the KNT backhand coaching but there seem to be improvements across the board...

Thier men's KNT had a pretty serviceable BH...

 

[NextLevel]

Thier men's KNT had a pretty serviceable BH...

Pros have "serviceable" everythings, but JWJ beating Duda and Xue Fei with combinations that required good and confident backhand play. And An has been holding his own in rallies, though still not enough to dent Hugo, but it all looks better and he has beaten Felix twice and Harimoto once again.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

Charlie Come On!

JWJ, make history tonight!

Meanwhile, Gozo has a soft spot for underdawgs, so come on Anders.

NB: If Hugo wins, its just another weekend. If Anders win, you bet your bottom dollars he will make a YT vid and explain everything from an insider perspective.

 

[Dr Evil]

Looking forward to a true champions final, the best player vs his current top challenger.

 

[Der_Echte]

Pros have "serviceable" everythings, but JWJ beating Duda and Xue Fei with combinations that required good and confident backhand play. And An has been holding his own in rallies, though still not enough to dent Hugo, but it all looks better and he has beaten Felix twice and Harimoto once again.

I meant to say their MNT Coach... a legend of steady BH play.

 

[NextLevel]

I meant to say their MNT Coach... a legend of steady BH play.

Who is their head coach now? Oh?

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

i had always assume JWJ is KTK's prodigy. Master-Student relationship. Am I wrong?

 

[BlopChock]

Calderano - Lind 4 - 0.
Wang - Jang 4 - 0

Wang 4-1 Calderano.

You don't think Lind, on current form, will even take a game off Calderano?

Heck, if Anders plays like yesterday, he might even make Hugo sweat enough to break out his mini time-buying towel.

Regardless of outcome, I'm definitely looking forward to it!

(And we have Bud v Canelo in the meantime.)