Benyamin Faraji defeats Lin Shidong

[TTHopeful]

This time last year Benyamin Faraji defeated Wang Chuqin at the Asian Championships and lost to Lin Shidong 3-2. Today he has just defeated Lin Shidong at the 2025 Asian Championships.

HOW DOES HE DO IT?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

This time last year Benyamin Faraji defeated Wang Chuqin at the Asian Championships and lost to Lin Shidong 3-2. Today he has just defeated Lin Shidong at the 2025 Asian Championships.

HOW DOES HE DO IT?

by hitting the ball on more than LSD

 

[TTHopeful]

by hitting the ball on more than LSD

But really, LSD is so much better, just look at his results: world number 1 multiple times, winning Smash events etc. There must be something causing this.

 

[TampaBayTableTennis]

epic hook serve and forehand follow-up

 

[XpingpingpongpongX]

This is why I think FZD will play in the 2028 Olympic Games. Put yourself in WLQ's shoes, this is my first Olympics as the TT president, I would want the most reliable men in my team. LSD is still lacking experience to perform under pressure.

 

[NextLevel]

This is why I think FZD will play in the 2028 Olympic Games. Put yourself in WLQ's shoes, this is my first Olympics as the TT president, I would want the most reliable men in my team. LSD is still lacking experience to perform under pressure.

There are 3 years till LA 2028. Ma Long lost to Boll and still played Team Olympics, but that was because he didn't perform in WTTC singles and then of course, went on to have one of the best team record and singles records of all time. Lin still has till 2027 WTTC at least to continue to work on his craft. Fan of course can play, but it isn't a necessity thing.

 

[piligrim]

But really, LSD is so much better, just look at his results: world number 1 multiple times, winning Smash events etc. There must be something causing this.

In my opinion he played very passive game compare to how he usually play

 

[NextLevel]

In my opinion he played very passive game compare to how he usually play

I think Faraji served/serves long a lot and managed to get into rallies and third ball kills and Lin is used to out playing players in the short game because most players are not used to serving long on most points and defending first attack (Faraji didn't make a lot of mistakes in short game either but it was the confidence to go long early that made the difference). That shift in balance ended up giving Faraji a chance and costing Lin the match.

 

[XpingpingpongpongX]

There are 3 years till LA 2028. Ma Long lost to Boll and still played Team Olympics, but that was because he didn't perform in WTTC singles and then of course, went on to have one of the best team record and singles records of all time. Lin still has till 2027 WTTC at least to continue to work on his craft. Fan of course can play, but it isn't a necessity thing.

I think the coaches would want to confirm the team way before 2028 so the players have plenty of time to prepare. I am not saying LSD and WCQ can't do the job. Just that, if I want good results, I would want to have an experienced and proven veteran in my team.
But it's possible that FZD really just doesn't want to play under pressure again. He's won everything in TT after all.

 

[NextLevel]

I think the coaches would want to confirm the team way before 2028 so the players have plenty of time to prepare. I am not saying LSD and WCQ can't do the job. Just that, if I want good results, I would want to have an experienced and proven veteran in my team.
But it's possible that FZD really just doesn't want to play under pressure again. He's won everything in TT after all.

Nah, you can't plan this that far in advance or rather id you do, it is based on current performances. Tough losses like this cant disqualify you. Did Wang's loss to Faraji disqualify him?

This is part of the preparation. And it reveals gaps to be worked on.

 

[TTHopeful]

I think what gets me is how comes his results are not big in other events? Has he beat anyone else in the top 30 other than Wang Chuqin?

 

[the-don]

This time last year Benyamin Faraji defeated Wang Chuqin at the Asian Championships and lost to Lin Shidong 3-2. Today he has just defeated Lin Shidong at the 2025 Asian Championships.

HOW DOES HE DO IT?

very simple.
he has golden viscaria.

 

[NextLevel]

very simple.
he has golden viscaria.

He switched from Super ZLC Mizutani? Super beats Golden you know...

 

[piligrim]

very simple.
he has golden viscaria.

He has Mizutani super zlc

 

[sebi]

I think what gets me is how comes his results are not big in other events? Has he beat anyone else in the top 30 other than Wang Chuqin?

not that i have heard of on wtt events his performances are subpar
but against lin he performed.
It might be his confidence and his head. Against "weaker" opponents there is a lot of pressure against world N. 1 and 2 there is no pressure.
His mental might be lacking.
Other then that i don´t like him he is even more annoying then Harimoto, but a great player

 

[blahness]

In my opinion he played very passive game compare to how he usually play

Can't really handle the extremely spinny hook serve that Faraji has even if it is going long. If he loops slow it would be counterlooped bad. Faraji just needed to serve long, wait for the slow open up, then crunch the counterloopkill. If LSD did anything else it would also be long and he can also loopkill it with FH. Faraji also played very spinny and consistent FH loops which LSD was making huge amounts of mistakes on as he couldn't control it.

Tbh LSD should have just went for very sidespinny BH opening loops to jam this FH and then switch down the line if he pivoted early - LSD's opening loops were way too lukewarm, and his pivot FH loop is just not good enough.

 

[blahness]

But basically, this match (and the previous one) just shows how powerful the hook serve is lol - it is literally the meta in table tennis.

 

[Dr Evil]

Faraji is a much stronger player now than last year when he beat WCQ. Still LSD had to play a terrible match to lose. It was almost comical how many slow loops to the elbow he watched Faraji pivot and counter past him. Did he not notice this wasn't working? Did Wang Hao not mention it to him? Even so he had more than enough winning leads for a comfortable victory except that many uncharacteristic unforced errors kept Faraji in the match. But Faraji had to hold his nerve and make the shots when he had them. Another great win for him.

 

[blahness]

Faraji is a much stronger player now than last year when he beat WCQ. Still LSD had to play a terrible match to lose. It was almost comical how many slow loops to the elbow he watched Faraji pivot and counter past him. Did he not notice this wasn't working? Did Wang Hao not mention it to him? Even so he had more than enough winning leads for a comfortable victory except that many uncharacteristic unforced errors kept Faraji in the match. But Faraji had to hold his nerve and make the shots when he had them. Another great win for him.

Yep it was useless to slow loop it to the elbow, those were the easiest for Faraji to pivot loopkill off. Just slow loop to wide BH to force the BH block/counter and then keep hammering that BH. If there is any pivot action just switch it down the line.

It's as if LSD forgot how to play FH oriented loopers....

 

[piligrim]

Watching this match and LJK against Alamian it makes impression there is something bother Chinese players and they can't show what they can do