20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, 9/19-10/4

[NextLevel]

Looks like Youtube got the streamer .

 

[kindof99]

I need to check the pairings but did China go out of their way to avoid LSD vs LYJ or did Taiwan?

Ah - Taiwan did - interesting... though you could argue that Lin likes to play first regardless of the opponent...

LYJ probably has the best chance against wcq

 

[backspacer]

Are the streams on the official site lagging for everyone else too?

 

[JackJohnson]

You didn't get this from me.

Which Youtube channel was this?

 

[zeio]

Didn't expect Nakazawa to field Nagasaki as many as 3 times.

Before WT F
3 Harimoto
3 Hayata
2 Ito (MGL and TPE)
1 Mende (UZB)
3 Nagasaki

 

[NextLevel]

Didn't expect Nakazawa to field Nagasaki as many as 3 times.

Before WT F
3 Harimoto
3 Hayata
2 Ito
1 Mende
3 Nagasaki

Neither did I, but it is an interesting question that if Japan needs to win, who stands a chance vs Kuai Man and Wang Manyu...

 

[NextLevel]

So after all the qualification matches, after all the knockouts, it comes down to the matchup we all know too well, we are now getting the point that in Asia if not the world, Japan is second China on both men and women's and beating Korea 3-0 almost confirms that.

IT is funny that Kuo used to get in a lot against Wen when they were juniors but it seems the usual CNT trend of things getting worse as the players get older is already taking place.

I am not that hopeful for the women but of course all gifts are accepted. The men though, can they break through? Am I asking for way too much? Can Harimoto erase the memories of his last match vs Liang Jingkun? Will the CNT play Wen vs Harimoto and LSD vs Togami?

Desparate times for the CNT for sure. But you cannot bet against them until they lose lol...

 

[ThePongCommenter]

IT is funny that Kuo used to get in a lot against Wen when they were juniors but it seems the usual CNT trend of things getting worse as the players get older is already taking place.

Kuo lost to Wen in their first 3 meetings dating back to 2023, likely due to age gap (WRB has a fake age). Kuo has won the 3 most recent ones before today, so I'm not sure it is a trend yet.

 

[Janard]

How about Miwa, Nagasaki and Ito for finals haha. Can't wait for a WMY-Miwa rematch.

 

[JackJohnson]

How about Miwa, Nagasaki and Ito for finals haha. Can't wait for a WMY-Miwa rematch.

Hina should not play in the final as 1st/2nd ranked player. If she does play in the final it needs to be 3rd cause there is no way she can beat SYS or WMY after what happened at WTTTC earlier this year.

Nagasaki and Ito record against SYS and WMY is not good.

 

[Janard]

Hina should not play in the final as 1st/2nd ranked player. If she does play in the final it needs to be 3rd cause there is no way she can beat SYS or WMY after what happened at WTTTC earlier this year.

Nagasaki and Ito record against SYS and WMY is not good.

Then that leaves... Rin Minde their secret weapon!

 

[zeio]

In my opinion, he played the toughest matchup on the Korean team so his struggle is reasonable and not a function of old narratives.

Tieba users acknowledged the level of OJS but at the same time also expected more from Togami (see additional comments I attached). As I've stressed, this could very well be Togami's last Olympic cycle (here and here). There's not much time left for him to prove himself. He's wasted too many chances in the past 5 years, when Uda didn't even get a chance to play at WTTC 2026 and here. Uda may be injured (and has withdrawn CHN GS 2026) but he could've handled the likes of MDV if not UZB? With a head coach as cowered as Kishikawa, holding the selection trial was in vain. OTOH, like he did with ZQH at WTTC 2026, WH took the risk and gave XP a chance to play here in the match against THA, where LSD lost.

 

[JackJohnson]

Tieba users acknowledged the level of OJS but at the same time also expected more from Togami (see additional comments I attached). As I've stressed, this could very well be Togami's last Olympic cycle (here and here). There's not much time left for him to prove himself. He's wasted too many chances in the past 5 years, when Uda didn't even get a chance to play at WTTC 2026 and here. Uda may be injured (and has withdrawn CHN GS 2026) but he could've handled the likes of MDV if not UZB? With a head coach as cowered as Kishikawa, holding the selection trial was in vain. OTOH, like he did with ZQH at WTTC 2026, WH took the risk and gave XP a chance to play here in the match against THA, where LSD lost.

I still disagree with them selecting Togami over Shinozuka for the team matches. Lets see what team they will select against China. With LSD taking LJK place he will not be playing 3rd spot like last time so that leaves with either WRB or XP. They need to select a player that has a good H2H against these 2 players

 

[zeio]

Hina should not play in the final as 1st/2nd ranked player. If she does play in the final it needs to be 3rd cause there is no way she can beat SYS or WMY after what happened at WTTTC earlier this year.

Nagasaki and Ito record against SYS and WMY is not good.

If anything, Ito and Nagasaki aren't that far behind from Harimoto in terms of score in recent matches. However unrelated here, keep in mind Nagasaki is 2-0 up against ZYL (Japan Open 2019 and Swedish Open 2019), with no one expecting those consecutive wins.

Hayata's problem doesn't have to do with score but her poor form in majors, often getting injured ahead of or during the tournament, e.g. WTTC 2022, Paris 2024 leading to ATTC 2024, WTTC 2026. She wasn't in good form coming into the Asian Games, as seen at WTT CT Almaty 2026. Hayata in WT is like Boll in MS.

Hayata: Ahem, I am 0-19 SYS, 0-6 WMY...
Ito: 2-13 SYS (Asian Junior & Cadet TTC 2014 and Swedish Open 2019), 2-17 WMY (Japan Open 2018 and Swedish Open 2019)
Nagasaki: 0-5 SYS (earning 2 games in total and in junior years), 0-3 WMY (4 games in total, 2-1 -> 2-3 at EUR GS 2025)
Harimoto: 1-9 SYS (ATTC 2024), 1-11 WMY (WTTC 2026)

 

[zeio]

I still disagree with them selecting Togami over Shinozuka for the team matches. Lets see what team they will select against China. With LSD taking LJK place he will not be playing 3rd spot like last time so that leaves with either WRB or XP. They need to select a player that has a good H2H against these 2 players

As one of those Tieba users suggested, it's possible CNT might play LSD in 3rd singles and WRB in 2nd singles to "catch" Harimoto.

 

[zeio]

Then that leaves... Rin Minde their secret weapon!

Not unlike Hirano at Asian Games 2014, when they thought they stood no chance, Fukuhara beat DN...

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...inals-london-2026-4-28-5-10.37691/post-575533

Hayata's form has been rather poor throughout so no surprise there. Trailing 0-2 against Winter made it abundantly clear. Hashimoto has also not played at her best. If JPN were not the ABC team, it could've ended in 0-3.

Given that, Nakazawa's plan was to have Hashimoto catch KM and have Harimoto get 2 points against WMY and SYS, but in anticipation of that, KM locked Hashimoto in the 3rd singles and SYS showed them the Great Wall of China.

Maybe they could've fielded Mende instead of Hayata (rather than Nagasaki having just recovered from her injury)...

 

[piligrim]

 

[NextLevel]

As one of those Tieba users suggested, it's possible CNT might play LSD in 3rd singles and WRB in 2nd singles to "catch" Harimoto.

Times are hard when I start sounding like Tieba users. Where did I go wrong?