Europe Smash 2026, Malmö, 8/8-16

[Metaxa]

Harimoto on 4-3 Matsushima with Miguvideo.
https://weibo.com/6040160273/RdHAXvT6N

From 0–7 to 11–8, Tomo barely scored one single point (9-8) in my view. Sora really threw it away with all those other baffling errors. Set 7 is simply the psychological fallout from set 6.
It’s quite funny that he says in the interview that he kept fighting in set 6… if I’d been handed everything on a plate, I’d have put it a bit differently.

 

[Dr Evil]

Sora's not quite ready to overcome big brother Harimoto (still only 23, but in Harimoto years that makes him a grizzled veteran). From 0-7 in game 6, Harimoto turned to the spin game and got Sora to punch or counter long 5 or 6 times, and push into the net twice.

 

[M51]

I actually slightly favor Harimoto right now.

Glad I was wrong. Europe Smash stays in European hands.

*pretty miserable attendance compared to last year

 

[FIXPOINT]

Europe Smash - Sweden 2026 WS Final

Europe Smash - Sweden 2026 MS Final

Japanese version​

 

[Oliverpool]

That's because he can't sustain the intensity that style commands, at least at his current level. This is the 5th time in 2026 Matsushima has dropped G6 in matches that went down to the wire after leading 3-2 or 3-1 (40% win rate). Many Tieba users have noticed that pattern.

2026
WTT CS Chongqing 3-1 -> 3-4 F. Lebrun
World Cup 3-2 -> 4-3 LYJ
World Cup 3-2 -> 3-4 WCQ
WTT CS Yokohama 2-3 -> 4-3 JWJ
EUR GS 3-2 -> 4-3 Ranefur
EUR GS 3-2 -> 3-4 Harimoto

I agree. I was slightly surprised that Sora was visibly panting after many of the rallies starting from
Game 5/6. Probably time to work on his physical strength. You do not see the same
From WCQ who is much older.

 

[Oliverpool]

IS it possible that Felix played much better for this tournament?

I do notice that players with Zyre do worse against player that play with more spin then power. Thats probably the bigger factor why Harimoto does poorly against Felix. The RS40 ball should have helped
Him a little bit it was Not enough and he probably is more tired after his morning match against Sora.

 

[Oliverpool]

Sora's not quite ready to overcome big brother Harimoto (still only 23, but in Harimoto years that makes him a grizzled veteran). From 0-7 in game 6, Harimoto turned to the spin game and got Sora to punch or counter long 5 or 6 times, and push into the net twice.

Adding spin on his forehand loop to Sora backhand Zyre won him so many points at game 6.

 

[NextLevel]

Adding spin on his forehand loop to Sora backhand Zyre won him so many points at game 6.

Fighting Zyre with Zyre...

 

[NextLevel]

From 0–7 to 11–8, Tomo barely scored one single point (9-8) in my view. Sora really threw it away with all those other baffling errors. Set 7 is simply the psychological fallout from set 6.
It’s quite funny that he says in the interview that he kept fighting in set 6… if I’d been handed everything on a plate, I’d have put it a bit differently.

You aren't crediting Harimoto for his spin variation to throw off Sora-s timing.

 

[NextLevel]

He just lost 2-4 in Yokohama last week.

Togami losing to Coton after his team was 2-0 up in matches at WTTC 2026 made Harimoto and Matsushima lose to Felix (2 losses after 5 consecutive wins against Harimoto at that point) and Alexis in the final 2 matches. If I were Togami, I would reflect on this profoundly.

Could time zones have played a factor in Felix"s issues on Yokohama?

 

[NextLevel]

So we still have to wait for Harimoto to win a Smash.

Truls: Smash winner
Sora: Smash winner
Felix: Smash winner

Experts: the best of them is obviously Tomo, he is just focusing on other things like Champions Yokohama, Smashes are only important to players who the GOAT didn't label the best.

More seriously, I wish Harimoto could have won this. But maybe it was too hard to play Sora and Felix on the same day

 

[ThePongCommenter]

I do notice that players with Zyre do worse against player that play with more spin then power. Thats probably the bigger factor why Harimoto does poorly against Felix. The RS40 ball should have helped
Him a little bit it was Not enough and he probably is more tired after his morning match against Sora.

Harimoto actually has a much better record against Felix after the Zyre switch than he did before the switch, so this is an interesting theory...

 

[jonol]

I don't really think this can be attributed to rubbers. If they play a role, it's minor at best.

Harimoto has always had difficulty against Felix. It's very hard to disrupt his rhythm, he's consistent on both wings and can play close or far from table.

Sora is a lot more high risk/reward. Incredible shot quality, but more prone to errors. He won against Zhou Qihao, but he was having similar difficulties in that match.

(I also think Zhou choked a bit, losing 4 straight points in game 5 when he was up 9-7)

 

[NextLevel]

I don't really think this can be attributed to rubbers. If they play a role, it's minor at best.

Harimoto has always had difficulty against Felix. It's very hard to disrupt his rhythm, he's consistent on both wings and can play close or far from table.

Sora is a lot more high risk/reward. Incredible shot quality, but more prone to errors. He won against Zhou Qihao, but he was having similar difficulties in that match.

(I also think Zhou choked a bit, losing 4 straight points in game 5 when he was up 9-7)

I think we use the phrase choking too much unless you really think ZQH is/was the superior player.

I do agree with the main points you make, Felix has most given Harimoto a ton of trouble and Harimoto has to play his very best to stand a chance against Felix.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

I truly cannot understand at all. 90% of the points won by Felix is RPB. Is C-Pen BH so scary?

Is Gozo getting old and stuck in old outdated thinking?

 

[kindof99]

View attachment 42949
I truly cannot understand at all. 90% of the points won by Felix is RPB. Is C-Pen BH so scary?

Is Gozo getting old and stuck in old outdated thinking?

Remember that XX beat Harimoto 8 times before he retired? Not just RPB, Penhold forehand is quite different as well.

 

[jonol]

I think we use the phrase choking too much unless you really think ZQH is/was the superior player.

I do agree with the main points you make, Felix has most given Harimoto a ton of trouble and Harimoto has to play his very best to stand a chance against Felix.

For this match specifically, I think ZQH was playing better than Sora. There were some spectacular shots from Sora, but I felt ZQH was dictating the rhythm.

Memory is a but foggy on the specifics, but I remember ZQH having a lead at multiple points and then Sora getting back into the match with some errors from ZQH.

 

[banbekas]

From 0–7 to 11–8, Tomo barely scored one single point (9-8) in my view. Sora really threw it away with all those other baffling errors. Set 7 is simply the psychological fallout from set 6.
It’s quite funny that he says in the interview that he kept fighting in set 6… if I’d been handed everything on a plate, I’d have put it a bit differently.

Guess why he made those baffling errors?

 

[NextLevel]

Guess why he made those baffling errors?

It happened in Yokohama as well... 5th game especially...

 

[Metaxa]

You aren't crediting Harimoto for his spin variation to throw off Sora-s timing.

I don’t see that many changes between 0–7 and 8–8. Perhaps the two banana flips with more spin that Sora placed over the table? At his level, they’re not really the hardest shots to return, are they? Sora lost the match purely for psychological reasons, something that’s lingered from the past. Not because Tomo suddenly started playing differently tactically at 0–7.