China Smash 2025

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Jul 2019
820
470
1,822
WCQ's style depends a lot on speed and first attacks. Not sure whether he can keep up with the speed in 3 years. Once he loses in a couple of tournaments (I think it is going to happen in these three years), whether he can hold his head up and keep the confidence is also a problem.
There's nothing stopping him from keeping up the speed at 29. It's not like he'd be some decrepit old geezer in 2028. Provided he's well rested/utilised, and has access to top of the field physios and doctors.

I don't think a guy wins 5+ tournaments in a year just spamming speed bursts and first attacks. His game is multidimensional, there's the serve deception, there's the huge pressure on the opponents to keep it short, there's his short game which is arguably the best in the game, there's the angles he uses, there's the quick and decisive first attack, there's the low arcing spinny drives that dip and evade his opponents, there's the ability to dictate the rallies, There's his hugely underrated receive ability - opponents almost almost win less than 50% of their serves against him, seen many of the big players win as low as 30 - 35% of their serves, and I think this is where most of their woes start actually.

He's easily won 15+ tournaments in the last 3-4 years. Definitely not a one or two trick pony.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Jul 2019
820
470
1,822
Felix can be proud of his performance given he knocked out three Chinese players on the way to the final, against one of which he had to save match point. But I think Wang Chuqin played too well and the crowd must’ve played a small factor too. Now imagine if we see Felix vs WCQ in Montpellier, does it become as one sided as today’s final?
The location being Montpellier may not matter much as long as Chinese fangirls are not denied visas.
 
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Jan 2018
12,911
12,854
28,945
It was just like Harimoto got 3-0 lead against WCQ in Yokohama. As I have said, if WCQ played like the semi-finals, then the chances would have been there. However in the final he stayed closer to the table, hit the balls much more aggressive in order to keep each point very short, plus Felix served terribly long to invite Wang for the first attack and had bad serves received. These things combine to make a bagel. If he played more carefully, just like Harimoto had done, then who knows?
WCQ's SF match versus XP is more comparable to F. Lebrun's R32 match versus CYY where the crowd caused a distraction (early on for the former and near the very end for the latter) and potentially changed the course of the match.

Harimoto's F match versus WCQ was different where the former played dramatically differently from previous meetings (not just a change of tactics [more concrete] but also a change of strategy [more abstract] in how he approached the match from a different angle, as if playing like a different person), and some in mainland China believe Harimoto played a mind game on the CNT with his outbursts on his Instagram and the allegation on WH over poor handshakes whenever they lost, when in fact WH did the handshakes properly with Calderano at World Cup 2025.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NextLevel
says Leave the righteousness to me.
says Leave the righteousness to me.
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Nov 2020
1,611
1,467
6,999
Sorry for chiming in without reading the thread - what did WCQ pointing after the match-ball mean?

Anyway, my short perspective, I love watching WCQ even a tiny bit more than ML, then is a gap ;-) Well Matsushima is also fun, he needs to beat the arrogance and thinking "I am the talented one" though ;-) Cheers.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Takkyu_wa_inochi
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Moderator
Oct 2014
19,971
26,530
70,870
Read 17 reviews
No way in the world will Felix ever beat a normal Wang 4-0 or 4-1. Only if a heavy bandaged, drugged out, and stationary Wang is playing
Depends on what you mean by normal. Wang has level drops because of his physicality, we will only be able to call them out after the fact. Felix is a really good and fast player under the right conditions, a reversal could happen as soon as Montpellier if the CNT play and Wang suffers a mild dip in form (but again, we won't be able to discern this until after the fact). Felix just needs better luck, playing Lin earlier in the day likely distorted his perception of his form, he needs to play Wang with a different strategy and resolve. As people pointed out, Felix beat 3 CNT players to get to Wang, including one lefty, so he had more than enough data for the analytics team to come up with strong recommendations.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Oct 2010
2,859
2,797
10,527
Maybe there's a problem of approaching tactics. It's quite weird that Felix chose to play speed games and did not try to slow the game down or use heavy spin games like last time in The US. Maybe different coaches have different ways to set up tactics for him, and I feel that his coach in the US Smash might be better than Molin on this live game matters. Also the last time in US, Felix had some chances to receive Wang's serves in Men's Doubles event, so he was much more confidence than today's final.
Biggest problem Felix had is he couldn't read the spin on Wang Chuqin's serves, whereas Wang Chuqin was reading his serves like a book. It was strange that Felix only served FH pendulum - no hook serves or RPB serves?

Wang Chuqin's fast long serves (coming with either underspin or no spin or topspin) caused some huge troubles for Felix. Due to defending against these serves he couldn't get to the short serves in time to short push them so could only do a long push which WCQ destroys.

This is straight out of Ma Long's playbook on how to play BH oriented players.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Oct 2010
2,859
2,797
10,527
WCQ really fears defence and rally monsters who can defend his 1st attack and then consistently dominate in the rallies with heavy spin. Players like Fan Zhendong or ZJK before - but Fan Zhendong seems to have passed the crown to Wang Chuqin for no good reason...
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Feb 2024
181
225
561
Felix was clearly not in great mental shape during the final. He couldn’t even cheer himself on, he wasn’t even frustrated with himself. There was basically no fight left in him until the 4th set but that was too little too late.

I think he was mentally drained from his semifinal and the fact that his “mission” was accomplished.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Egon
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Jul 2019
820
470
1,822
Many people probably didnt watch the Milos match. The gap is not as large as some think, it is more about a commitment to doing many things well and being in the form required ro maintain the mindset.
Looking forward to what their matches over the years look like.
 
  • Like
Reactions: golden_son
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Jan 2018
12,911
12,854
28,945
CNT is lucky they have a rightie who knows how to play Hugo. Shidong didn't look like he knew what to do against Hugo last time, and I'm looking forward to seeing how their next match pans out.
The challenge now is to get XP to stop losing to LYJ and Matsushima. He's got awful records against them, and his style looks mechanical in direct contrast to their dynamic play.
More specifically, a righty who is FH-oriented, and so like ML, XP has (even more) trouble against lefties like LYJ and Matsushima.

LSD is suffering the same problem that haunts F. Lebrun.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shine
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Jan 2018
12,911
12,854
28,945
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Jan 2018
12,911
12,854
28,945
Asked about hostility coming from the stand, LSD stressed that the customer is always right and that there's nothing wrong with the fans cheering only for their stars but asked for their understanding to cheer only after the point is over, especially on crucial points.

https://weibo.com/1655068234/Q7q8u2Ml0
东方体育日报
10-3 15:39 来自 微博视频号
【东现场】比赛中看台传来不友好声音,林诗栋:观众买了票给谁加油都对,但希望关键球时不要发声 #乒乓 #wtt中国大满贯 #林诗栋 #赛场文明# 东方体育日报的微博视频

No. That's commercialization at work.

As a Tieba user once put it, those are 人迷, not 球迷. That's how the new generation behaves. As Table Tennis Kingdom points out in a recent article, that is a good thing and the senile crowd at Japan Open was not. Throw out the old mindset. Get used to it.

UFC 279 crowd boos the memoriam for the Queen
https://www.reddit.com/r/ufc/comments/xb738g/ufc_279_crowd_boos_the_memoriam_for_the_queen/
Liverpool fans do not need lessons in respecting Queen tributes, Jurgen Klopp says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mCaqbhDCQU
Liverpool Fans RUIN Minute's Silence for Queen Elizabeth's Death
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWjL1ZOVYQs
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Moderator
Oct 2014
19,971
26,530
70,870
Read 17 reviews
She's a public person so I get the equal opportunity discussion but in addition to being broadly retired and not on the same level of stardom, Xu Chenhao is a man and unless we know he has a history of issues with weight and even despite that, men and women generally don't treat weight issues quite the same for various reasons.
 
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Jan 2018
12,911
12,854
28,945
DYP gave a succinct analysis on why F. Lebrun lost so badly in the MS F. In a nutshell, Smart Table Tennis.

https://weibo.com/6320391439/Q7KETocg2
咪咕体育
10-5 19:53 来自 咪咕视频体育频道官方微博
#邓亚萍说好心疼王楚钦##邓亚萍总结男单决赛#

@小个邓亚萍 赛后发博总结男单决赛:祝贺王楚钦在刚刚结束的WTT男单决赛中酣畅淋漓地获得了冠军,我为他感到高兴,同时也让我感到心疼。我觉得在采访过程中,他以责任感和担当精神最终走到了最后。我原本以为这场比赛会有一番缠斗,也会是比较艰苦的一场比赛,但是没想到今天王楚钦发挥得太好了,无论是他的发球接发球还是衔接,都考虑得非常细致,并且在比赛之前做了充分准备。

我相信勒布伦也没想到这场会打成这样,他上午赢了林诗栋,所以可能觉得有机会能赢。然而今天王楚钦确确实实限制了他的发挥,尤其是在发球轮几乎没有拿到球,也不让他能够使得上劲儿。

这正是中国人打球最奥妙的地方。对于很多欧洲选手,他们人高马大力量大,但是我不让他们发挥出你的力量优势,就控制他们,用更多灵动的技战术打到我们擅长的方向。

再次祝贺王楚钦获得冠军,希望他快速休息。因为后面还有比赛,真的好心疼他,希望他快点休息。

小个邓亚萍的微博视频


Funny reactions from LSD when WCQ defended him.

https://weibo.com/6320391439/Q7BoeqVeL
咪咕体育
10-4 20:18 来自 微博视频号
#王楚钦说把前辈传承的经验带给林诗栋#

🎙️咪咕赛后独家内容,@林詩棟y :年初在新加坡两人配合还不熟悉,这一次跟头哥默契更好了。@王楚钦___ :林诗栋是男队的绝对主力,跟他配合自己相比比较有经验,把前辈带给我的经验带给他,也是传承的象征,未来的备战和战略,需要我们去好好沟通,应该把双打的认知带给他,并且好好磨合。

#王楚钦林诗栋回应男双冠军##王楚钦林诗栋男双夺冠# 咪咕体育的微博视频

王楚钦:林诗栋的实力不容质疑! 石头:哥,差不多得了~哈哈哈 #乒乓球 #tabletennis #王楚钦 #林诗栋 #wtt
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9ws23jEaVCI


KM: XD 80 pts, WS 60 pts, WD to be rated after the final.

https://weibo.com/1655068234/Q7pVnejgu
东方体育日报
10-3 15:06 来自 微博视频号
【东现场】蒯曼给自己参加的三项打分:混双80分,女单60分,女双决赛还没打,打完再说吧 #乒乓##wtt中国大满贯##蒯曼# 东方体育日报的微博视频
 
Last edited:
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Jan 2018
12,911
12,854
28,945
She's a public person so I get the equal opportunity discussion but in addition to being broadly retired and not on the same level of stardom, Xu Chenhao is a man and unless we know he has a history of issues with weight and even despite that, men and women generally don't treat weight issues quite the same for various reasons.
:sleep:

We need to talk about Marvel Rivals characters..
https://youtu.be/_a3iSxjS1c4?t=189

【Asmongold】為什麼東方做的白人角色會比我們西方做的還要好!中國怎麼會做出比我們更好的美國隊長版本!這真的是超可悲!
([Asmongold] Why are white characters made in the East better than our Western counterparts? How could China make a better version of Captain America than us? This is so sad!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWtCs3r8WQk

Chinese Dev Infiltrates Woke Game Design Class
https://youtu.be/yy5ArLmd2nw

Why Are Western Developers Doing This??
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oZg6C__Sz8A

Japan has had enough.
https://youtu.be/ab4qwLroDU8
Japan is being based once again
https://youtu.be/pfwj9d7Nkm8
Japanese Gamers Reaction to Fable's Main Character
https://youtu.be/oDHXL3HltP0
 
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
says Shoo...nothing to see here. - zeio
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Jan 2018
12,911
12,854
28,945
It's reported WCQ suffered from hypoglycemia after the MS F.

央视报道孙颖莎王楚钦的中国大满贯!兼三项打到低血糖的王楚钦~#王楚钦 #孙颖莎 #乒乓球 #tabletennis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4pEbX4LwnI


KNT related.

(有片)WTT中國大滿貫|王楚欽幽默婉拒安宰賢男雙邀請 指「估計沒機會了」
https://www.dotdotnews.com/a/202510/03/AP68df9cade4b08d290538ffd5.html
(有片) 王曼昱4:1力克申裕斌 女單決賽會師孫穎莎
https://www.wenweipo.com/a/202510/04/AP68e11917e4b05f24db59b8f8.html
 
Top