WTT Finals Hong Kong 2025, 12/10-14

[TampaBayTableTennis]

LETS GOOOOO

 

[NextLevel]

I mean this is a "champions" tournament of which only top 16 qualify. So its pretty much the best of the best. Pretty different in terms of the quality of opponents even in Smash tournaments where the top 64 qualify. Then you probably may not want the top 8 to meet in the round of 16.

Also with more seeded players, I noticed that we tend to see the "same" few players playing against each other. In the champions, we seem to get much different match ups.

I have no problem with seeing the same players playing each other especially when the cream rises to the top. No one complains in tennis for example when Jannik plays Alcaraz or the Big 4 play each other in the finals Its not like we havent seen Hugo and Felix play before or Sora and Wang.

What I don't like is having these key matchups early and at a disadvantage to players who should have deserved a better seeding based on their performance all through the year. Its one thing to seed a quarter or 64 players but another to seed a quarter of 16 top players. Sora as #8 deserves better than to face #1. Hugo as #3 deserves better than to face #6 Felix. If they only want to seed 1-8, it is better than seeding 1-4 IMHO. But of course everyone is allowed their own opinion.

 

[Oliverpool]

I mean does it make send to seed half of the field? Seed top 8 in a 16 player field? Really not sure if that be a better way to do this. I think whatever they decide on, there will be pros and cons. But the champions tournament sure have very good matchup right from the start. And best of 7 is one where upsets seem to occur more often then not

 

[NextLevel]

I mean does it make send to seed half of the field? Seed top 8 in a 16 player field? Really not sure if that be a better way to do this. I think whatever they decide on, there will be pros and cons. But the champions tournament sure have very good matchup right from the start. And best of 7 is one where upsets seem to occur more often then not

Yes, they should seed more players, at least half the field. It's cool that you enjoy watching Sora and Wang or Felix and Hugo battle in the first round, but for me that should not happen in the first round. The players who played better all year should have some reward for their seeding, not just the ones who are the very top and moreover, by doing what they did, they are killing some of the rewards that a top 4 seeding should provide. IF 4 can play 5, is there a perfect point in being seeded 4 if I only avoid 1,2, and 3?

Hugo should be able to play one match against a player that is not in the top 8 so that he can then be ready to perform and bring his very best against someone in the top 8. There is a reason why people argue that if sometimes, upsets happen earlier in a tournament because top players are not in their best mindset and form yet but that if you replicated those matches at a later stage, the higher ranked player would bring out their best because the opponent has gotten to a stage where the top player should bring it out from the start.

Of course there are no easy matches. But Let's not pretend that Sora wouldn't have preferred as 8th seed to play someone in 9-16 rather than #1. And I think he deserves that. Same with LJK at #7 playing #2. I am sure LSD and WCQ would also have preferred less dangerous opponents.

 

[JackJohnson]

I wonder where is Wang Hao. Did not coach WCQ game today and yesterday.

 

[NextLevel]

I wonder where is Wang Hao. Did not coach WCQ game today and yesterday.

He deserves a break. WCQ needs one as well, but he is just good enough to play while falling asleep lol. Coaching while falling asleep will result in memes... okay I am just kidding, I don't know what is really going on with WH.

WCQ has impressed me more these past two matches. He clearly is not on his very best game ( not that far below it either) but the execution and professionalism has been great.

 

[Metaxa]

About the first part: sure, I agree that Felix's serves are often dubious regarding verticality of the toss. I'm sure that, if this was called more often, he'd have to adjust accordingly (as he does, albeit for just a few points, when he gets called on the specific subject). I fully understand this part of your argument, for reference.
As for the second part: you can just check the serve in slow motion (YouTube has this useful feature of slowing down the video feed, or you can also stop at any given time and use the "," and "." keys to go backwards and forwards photogram-by-photogram if you prefer) and you will see that both the toss and the contact point are well behind the end of the table. Therfore, I think you should/could check more carefully before making a claim as if it was an objective truth on the matter.

I have never written anywhere that their services are always illegal. But if you can steal 3-4 points per set by doing this illegally and you know that the umpires will not react to it anyway, well...
Still strange that Hugo or Tomo, for example, never throws his balls into his racket or rarely or never serves from above/over the table.

 

[Metaxa]

There is. Hugo used it for an edge/side ball situation.

I don't think they will use it for illegal services very often. With a few exceptions, they prefer to protect each other. Doing so would make them unpopular with the other players, and that is something they want to avoid. That’s not good for social media.

 

[JackJohnson]

He deserves a break. WCQ needs one as well, but he is just good enough to play while falling asleep lol. Coaching while falling asleep will result in memes... okay I am just kidding, I don't know what is really going on with WH.

WCQ has impressed me more these past two matches. He clearly is not on his very best game ( not that far below it either) but the execution and professionalism has been great.

Only FZD can stop him.

 

[TableTennisDaily]

Listen to the sound of these shots 🎶🚀

Up next: Hugo & Bruna vs Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto!

 

[JackJohnson]

Whats wrong with Wang and Sun. Insane 4th game from Wong and Doo

 

[TableTennisDaily]

What a duck shot by Sun Yingsha! 🦆

 

[CyNyC]

Speed and placement by Odo today is way over expectations.
Hard work for Kuai Man!

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Peak Odo is really amazing but hard to sustain over the course of a bo7. Looking forward to see what she'll do in '26.

 

[NextLevel]

Speed and placement by Odo today is way over expectations.
Hard work for Kuai Man!

It is really hard to sustain that to beat Kuai Man over a bo7. I really hope she can figure it out.

 

[CyNyC]

Peak Odo is really amazing but hard to sustain over the course of a bo7. Looking forward to see what she'll do in '26.

Yes, hard to go full throttle for so many sets.
Great match though

 

[NextLevel]

Only FZD can stop him.

I think in his current form for this event, a few of the top 5 have a chance. Sora did. A few other players might get in as well. Mostly thinking LSD, Felix and LYJ.

 

[joshmak10]

Helix sales and promotions gonna go crazy with how Truls has been performing since he switch to it

 

[TableTennisDaily]

Truls invents new shot 👀

 

[NextLevel]

That was a surprise...but predicted by seeding and should have been the first round matchup in an NCAA bracket. Its interesting that the first round had a three NCAA second round matchups and one of them was an upset (Felix Hugo) and another one came close (Wang Sora) and the last was a blowout(LSD-LJK). So Truls and Wang have done justice to their seedings.

I guess if LSD makes it and then the winner of Felix/Tomo, then maybe seeding the top 4 has worked out somewhat for the top seeds, but it has cost some players seeded 3-8 points they could habe gotten by getting out the first round (Sora, Hugo, LJK).

On the women's side Wang Yidi, ZYL and Miwa clearly the largest victims and Miyu, Joo and Odo the biggest beneficiaries. But the CNT is so efficient on the women's side it will probably end up even more business as usual for the top 4 though Chen Yi is a expected interloper as seeding isn't everything (same with Felix or Hari on the men's side).

Okay. I can rest on this till next year lol.