WTT Champions Macao 2026, 9/8-13

[NextLevel]

This medal argument is getting old. Come up with another one. As I've stressed repeatedly, you're arguing not just with yourself but also the players and coaches.

Once again, did ML care about the major medals when he picked Harimoto as the best non-CNT player and not Moregard or Felix? Or HS when he rated Harimoto and LYJ above the others by a margin, specifically Felix? Or the fans in China when they raised the point how Hirano achieved 3-in-a-row wins against the CNT in 2 Olympic cycles that even Ito pales in comparison and how Hayata poses the least threat, despite the fact that Li Sun saw the most potential in Hayata at ATTC 2017?

P.S.
2025/1/30
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...hat-much-to-begin-with-1169.35128/post-505801

You too make me chuckle. I've spent all these years following the progress of Hayata and I told you at the start of the selection (05/05/2022 at 1:01pm) that she needed more titles (not medals, and ideally getting through multiple CNT players that Harimoto and Mizutani also concur) to be on equal footing with Hirano and Ito.

At the end of the day, I'm not a fanboy like some of you here who turns a blind eye to a player's shortcoming that can be fixed.[/url]

None of these arguments are older than your tired arguments around these issues which you repeatedly bring up when a player you don't like is related. WYD is weak, she devalued medals etc.

Let us see how ML's pick of Harimoto ages. After all, it is not like ML can't be wrong on the basis of the statistics even if his gut might he influenced by Harimoto beating him at the age of 15. The problem is that we can all aee with our two eyes that Sora especially and Felix to a lesser degree match up more dynamically and credibly with WCQ and a lot of other players. Harimoto has closed the gap for sure but his last two matches against Sora and Felix show he is still behind

Hayata is easily one of the greatest women Japanese players of all time. While Hirano had the earlier peak, Hayata has had a much longer period of sustained excellence and dominance at the top of Japan. Ito I would argue with her bronze at WTTC 2025 (which i am sure you devalue) is probably the greatest of all the three but I can hear someone make a case for peak Hirano in 2017, though it is never a good sign for your goat arguments when your peak years are a short period in your childhood that has not been matched.

Being a threat to the Chinese is important but it is definitely not everything. And when splitting hairs over who is the greatest of a great generation, everyone is allowed to have their own opinion. The Japanese speak about the importance of the All Japan events. That is where a lot of Mizutani's credibility comes from as well as his Olympics medals. Yet Hirano has not matched Ito or Hayata in those. In the end, you pick who you like.

Harimoto however, had his chance against FZD and failed. Truls did not fail against WCQ excuses by the latter notwithstanding. It is currently that simple and good luck to Harimoto in 2027 and 2028. At least FZD and LJK will not be playing. Felix and Sora both have slams in events where Harimoto played. There are no more excuses, He is capable, he has to execute. Until then we cant put him that far ahead of those who have. Truls has two WTTC medals playing both times in the same draw as Harimoto. He beat Togami eho Harimoto lost to. Anyone talking crap about Truls game can keep his agenda.

 

[FIXPOINT]

Scheduled Matches:
All times are local time.
Live streaming: https://www.youtube.com/wttglobal

Fri, 11th Sep 2026
11:00 T1 WS R16 CHEN Yi(CHN) - Elizabet ABRAAMIAN(RUS)
11:35 T1 MS R16 Darko JORGIC(SLO) - CHEN Yuanyu(CHN)
12:10 T1 WS R16 Satsuki ODO(JPN) - CHENG I-Ching(TPE)
12:45 T1 MS R16 ZHOU Qihao(CHN) - Kanak JHA(USA)
13:20 T1 WS R16 Honoka HASHIMOTO(JPN) - Hina HAYATA(JPN)
13:55 T1 MS R16 Sora MATSUSHIMA(JPN) - WONG Chun Ting(HKG)
18:30 T1 WS R16 Dina MESHREF(EGY) - Lily ZHANG(USA)
19:05 T1 MS R16 Benedikt DUDA(GER) - Alexis LEBRUN(FRA)
19:40 T1 WS R16 Natalia BAJOR(POL) - Ying HAN(GER)
20:15 T1 MS R16 Shunsuke TOGAMI(JPN) - Truls MOREGARD(SWE)
20:50 T1 WS R16 Hana GODA(EGY) - CHEN Xingtong(CHN)

Sat, 12th Sep 2026
11:00 T1 WS QF -
11:45 T1 MS QF Tomokazu HARIMOTO(JPN) -
12:30 T1 WS QF -
13:15 T1 MS QF -
18:30 T1 MS QF Anton KALLBERG(SWE) -
19:15 T1 WS QF -
20:00 T1 WS QF Miwa HARIMOTO(JPN) - Bernadette SZOCS(ROU)
20:45 T1 MS QF Hugo CALDERANO(BRA) -

 

[JustANoob]

Woo Hoo come on Sora bring the thunder! Would be happy if Togami spanks Moregard too.

 

[kindof99]

Scheduled Matches:
All times are local time.
Live streaming: https://www.youtube.com/wttglobal

11:35 T1 MS R16 Darko JORGIC(SLO) - CHEN Yuanyu(CHN)
12:45 T1 MS R16 ZHOU Qihao(CHN) - Kanak JHA(USA)
20:15 T1 MS R16 Shunsuke TOGAMI(JPN) - Truls MOREGARD(SWE)
20:50 T1 WS R16 Hana GODA(EGY) - CHEN Xingtong(CHN)

Let's see how many among these four matches I get the results right.

 

[JackJohnson]

11:35 T1 MS R16 Darko JORGIC(SLO) - CHEN Yuanyu(CHN)
12:45 T1 MS R16 ZHOU Qihao(CHN) - Kanak JHA(USA)
20:15 T1 MS R16 Shunsuke TOGAMI(JPN) - Truls MOREGARD(SWE)
20:50 T1 WS R16 Hana GODA(EGY) - CHEN Xingtong(CHN)

Let's see how many among these four matches I get the results right.

With the ZQH vs KJ match I’m undecided who will win that but the other picks you made I agree with you.

 

[J-fed]

Yea was gonna mention this, when watching his games against Tomo and Sora the match up for him just sucks, it's hard to keep his energy high when winners he'd get against WCQ are so easily handled.

Hard indeed. Quitting would not be the best response though if that’s what he’s doing. I don’t have enough knowledge or data to judge whether that is the case but my points remain solid. I certainly didn’t diagnose in any of my comments, Just described what would be the psychological or neurophysiological roots of the scenarios which other commenters described .

 

[zeio]

WS R16
CY WR12 (8) 3-1 Abraamian WR44 (9, -8, 11, 10)
G4 38, 68, 69, 99, 910, 1210

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/wtt-contender-almaty-2026-sep-1-6.39822/post-587015

Abraamian and Panfilova need more attention.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

None of these arguments are older than your tired arguments around these issues which you repeatedly bring up when a player you don't like is related. WYD is weak, she devalued medals etc.

Let us see how ML's pick of Harimoto ages. After all, it is not like ML can't be wrong on the basis of the statistics even if his gut might he influenced by Harimoto beating him at the age of 15. The problem is that we can all aee with our two eyes that Sora especially and Felix to a lesser degree match up more dynamically and credibly with WCQ and a lot of other players. Harimoto has closed the gap for sure but his last two matches against Sora and Felix show he is still behind

Hayata is easily one of the greatest women Japanese players of all time. While Hirano had the earlier peak, Hayata has had a much longer period of sustained excellence and dominance at the top of Japan. Ito I would argue with her bronze at WTTC 2025 (which i am sure you devalue) is probably the greatest of all the three but I can hear someone make a case for peak Hirano in 2017, though it is never a good sign for your goat arguments when your peak years are a short period in your childhood that has not been matched.

Being a threat to the Chinese is important but it is definitely not everything. And when splitting hairs over who is the greatest of a great generation, everyone is allowed to have their own opinion. The Japanese speak about the importance of the All Japan events. That is where a lot of Mizutani's credibility comes from as well as his Olympics medals. Yet Hirano has not matched Ito or Hayata in those. In the end, you pick who you like.

Harimoto however, had his chance against FZD and failed. Truls did not fail against WCQ excuses by the latter notwithstanding. It is currently that simple and good luck to Harimoto in 2027 and 2028. At least FZD and LJK will not be playing. Felix and Sora both have slams in events where Harimoto played. There are no more excuses, He is capable, he has to execute. Until then we cant put him that far ahead of those who have. Truls has two WTTC medals playing both times in the same draw as Harimoto. He beat Togami eho Harimoto lost to. Anyone talking crap about Truls game can keep his agenda.

Hirano Ito and Hayata are all 3 greats.

i think Hirano achieved much more than the other 2, even though it was mostly at 17 with her Asian champs title and World Cup title. Her style back then took the Chinese by surprise but they adapted quickly to it, and she never found her fearless form again even though she did improve a lot since and has become a more stable player, who was key in the Asian Champs team gold.

Ito is perhaps still the most loved and famous player in Japan, with her OG XD gold title. but that wasn't a singles title and maybe not from a prestige point of view but on pure performance basis, I think Hirano trophies are worth much more >> than Ito

Hayata got success a bit later, her singles OG and WTTC singles bronze match Ito, and i think she may lasted longer and a bit higher on avg than Ito or Hirano because her style is more stable and less high-risk but it always felt she and absolutely no chance against the top3 chinese while Hirano or Ito did (those top3 on CNT changed from DN ZYL CM to CM WMY SYS in the meantime and now there is newer blood on both teams)

Anyway soon Miwa has already taken the spotlight, and it will be for a while me thinks, unless Miku's talent explodes like her elder brother

 

[kindof99]

Darko : cyy = backhand : forehand

 

[zeio]

WS R16
Odo WR11 (7) 3-2 CIC WR28 (9, -10, 14, -8, 9)
G3 710, 1614
G4 15, 35, 36, 66, 69, 89, 811
G5 31 net for Odo, 32, 62 net for Odo, 63, 73, 76 edge hit for CIC and TO for Odo, 77, 97, 98 net for CIC, 99, 119

 

[Dr Evil]

Anyway soon Miwa has already taken the spotlight, and it will be for a while me thinks, unless Miku's talent explodes like her elder brother

How does Miku compare to Miwa at the same age?

 

[Dr Evil]

Incredible shot making in the Kanak ZQH match. Both players at their best.

 

[jonol]

With the ZQH vs KJ match I’m undecided who will win that but the other picks you made I agree with you.

With ZQH current form I don't think KJ had much chance. The only reason ZQH hasn't made deeper runs recently is he got knocked out of Europe Smash and Yokohama by Matsushima both times.

 

[canonFH]

Hina Hayata played the first game with her racket flipped. Now black on FH again. Strategy?

 

[zeio]

WS R16
Hashimoto WR13 2-3 Hayata WR6 (4) (-8, 7, -7, 3, -2)
G4 30, 33, 113
G5 10, 14 TO for Hashimoto, 18, 28, 211
Not just the forearm for Hayata, it seems.
LIVE!| Day 4| Infinity Arena I WTT Champions Macao 2026 Presented by Galaxy Entertainment Group | S1
After G1
https://youtu.be/fe0pAPpYvys?t=13590
After G3
https://youtu.be/fe0pAPpYvys?t=14812

MS R16
Matsushima WR3 (1) 3-1 WCT WR42 (8, -7, 6, 12)
G3 66, 116
G4 03, 43 TO for WCT, 69, 89, 810, 1010, 1011, 1211, 1212, 1412
Nice to see the WTT interpreters passing notes to the commentators to fill in the non-Chinese-speaking fans.
https://youtu.be/fe0pAPpYvys?t=17566

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

How does Miku compare to Miwa at the same age?

Miwa was stronger and so were Mima Ito and Miu Hirano

 

[NextLevel]

Hirano Ito and Hayata are all 3 greats.

i think Hirano achieved much more than the other 2, even though it was mostly at 17 with her Asian champs title and World Cup title. Her style back then took the Chinese by surprise but they adapted quickly to it, and she never found her fearless form again even though she did improve a lot since and has become a more stable player, who was key in the Asian Champs team gold.

Ito is perhaps still the most loved and famous player in Japan, with her OG XD gold title. but that wasn't a singles title and maybe not from a prestige point of view but on pure performance basis, I think Hirano trophies are worth much more >> than Ito

Hayata got success a bit later, her singles OG and WTTC singles bronze match Ito, and i think she may lasted longer and a bit higher on avg than Ito or Hirano because her style is more stable and less high-risk but it always felt she and absolutely no chance against the top3 chinese while Hirano or Ito did (those top3 on CNT changed from DN ZYL CM to CM WMY SYS in the meantime and now there is newer blood on both teams)

Anyway soon Miwa has already taken the spotlight, and it will be for a while me thinks, unless Miku's talent explodes like her elder brother

I do sometimes forget despite watching it live that Hirano won the only World Cup where the Chinese didnt play. But as for accomplishments while the degree of difficulty of what Hirano did at 17 wad unmatched, the fact it never returned makes it feel a bit like a fluke but that is probably the same kind of hindsight bias that I am arguing against here. She exploited a bug in the system that was quickly fixed after. It is really unfortunate that she couldn't get ahead of Ishikawa for Tokyo.

All that said, i don't have any issue with anyone arguing for any one of the three in that group depending on how they weight this or that. In all likelihood, Miwa will rewrite the record books though we shouldn't rush to assume that since we probably thought at one point that Tomokazu would do that as well.

 

[astarr]

Hana Goda is putting up a great fight against CXT

 

[CallMeZaddy]

Hana started playing so passive the last 5 points. She lost all confidence

 

[Janard]

This felt like Goda Vs SYS previously.