Miwa on
WMY's reinforced FH and XD w/ Matsushima.
世界ランク2位に惜敗の張本美和「どんどん離されている感覚。ダブルスは課題が山積み」＜卓球・チャイナスマッシュ2026＞
https://rallys.online/topic/international/261010chinasmashharimotomiwacomment/
(Comments from Harimoto Miwa (Kinoshita Group)
── How did the singles match go?
She was very strong again today.
It felt like Wang Manyu used her forehand much more frequently than usual. That was different from our previous encounters, which made it very difficult to read her intentions—and her backhand, as always, was formidable. Today, I felt under pressure no matter where I placed the ball.
Usually, if I attacked her forehand side, her game would falter a bit, but today she would finish the point before I could even shift my tactics. She was even winning points during backhand-to-backhand exchanges, which really caught me off guard. I couldn't find an answer until the end, so I feel like I struggled to win many rallies today.
── Do you think having already faced her in the women’s doubles this morning had any impact?
Perhaps.
In the doubles match, there were moments where she waited to take balls directed toward the middle with her forehand. In the singles match, too, she would wait for balls aimed at the middle—which she would normally play with her backhand—and finish them with her forehand. So, I do think the doubles match might have had some influence.
── Given that you’ve played each other many times, what was your game plan heading into today’s match?
My main focus was on my receiving.
We played twice at the last Asian Games, and both times I struggled with my returns—I couldn't even get into the rallies, or if I did, I couldn't gain an advantage.
I hadn't handled her "hook" (inward-spinning) serves well in the past, but today my returns against them were actually quite good. While part of that might be due to the differences in the table and the ball compared to before, I felt more comfortable today—to the point that, toward the end, she switched to simpler serves directed to the other side of the table. Ironically, while my receiving was strong today, I just couldn't win the rallies. It really reinforced for me that you can’t win unless you have a complete, well-rounded set of skills.
Even when I prepare for one specific aspect, a new challenge inevitably emerges—for instance, I might handle the rallies well, but then struggle with my returns. I suspect this cycle will continue.
Playing against Wang Manyu today, I faced more forehand attacks than I’ve ever encountered from her before; that was a valuable discovery.
── Would you say this match served as a stepping stone for the future?
I suppose so.
But since the time I beat her in the World Championships team event, Wang Manyu has really shifted into a higher gear—she’s become much more solid.
Looking at her expression, I could tell her mental state was very stable, and she was performing at her full, usual capacity.
Honestly, I feel like the gap in our skill levels has actually widened since that match I won.
── You used the "crouching" [tomahawk] serve today—the same one you used in yesterday’s match—and it even earned you a few points.
I was surprised! Yesterday, I used it three times against Wang Yidi and scored on every single one. Since her coaching staff likely watched the footage from yesterday, they would have known I had this serve in my arsenal, so I didn’t expect it to be effective—yet I managed to win the first two points with it, which left me thinking, "Wait, really?"
Of course, she eventually got used to it, and I couldn't keep scoring, but it’s definitely a tactic worth practicing further.
I’ve always found the crouching serve from Romania’s Bernadette Szőcs difficult to handle, and perhaps I managed to create that same feeling for Wang Manyu. If I keep working on it, it could become a genuine tactical option—that was a key discovery for me in this tournament.
── Looking at your overall results—reaching the semifinals in mixed doubles, the final in women’s doubles, and the semifinals in women’s singles—how do you feel about your performance across the board?
In this tournament, I felt that the players ranked above me were steadily pulling further ahead. Even when facing opponents with a similar ranking, I didn’t feel the absolute confidence that I would win while I was playing.
That said, matches aren’t decided solely by raw ability, and I was happy to have reached a level where I could think, "If I deliver my best performance, I might just win."
Although I’m ranked 3rd in the world, I’ve actually lost more often than I’ve won against players at a similar ranking, so in that sense, I’ve often felt that I might not quite be at a "true" world number 3 level yet. Looking at the results from this tournament, while I’ve gained a bit more confidence in my world number 3 ranking, it also really brought home just how large the gap remains between me and the players ranked 1st and 2nd.
The same applies to doubles and mixed doubles. Even when I managed to reach the finals—or even when I was able to take a game off a Chinese pair—I never felt like I was truly in control of the match.
Doubles, in particular, presents a mountain of challenges; it’s incredibly difficult because you can’t just rely on yourself. I want to put in solid training for doubles, and for mixed doubles specifically, my main focus is to adapt better to my partner, Matsushima-san, so that he feels comfortable playing alongside me. That’s really the only thing that matters for mixed doubles.
Also, since Matsushima-san is a male player and I’ve never faced him in a singles match, I don’t really know his game in detail. With someone like Hayata-san, for instance, I’ve played against her in singles, so I have some sense of what she might prefer or find comfortable. In mixed doubles, however, there are still many unknowns, so my first priority is to improve my own individual skills for that discipline.
Still, competing in three different events is a lot of fun, and I’m just glad I was able to get through the tournament without any injuries.
── With the Asian Championships and other tournaments coming up soon, could you share a few words about what lies ahead?
First and foremost, I’ll make sure to get plenty of rest and train hard so that I can compete in good health. Having a training period allows me to experiment with different things and refine the quality of the techniques I already possess. However, no matter how much I train, my practice partners often differ in many ways from the players I might face in actual matches. So, my goal is to further develop my skills—to the point where I can compete against players like Wang Manyu—and to challenge myself by facing them in as many matches as possible.
Wang Manyu and Sun Yingsha might not participate in the Asian Championships, but I intend to use that tournament as a target, viewing upcoming events as opportunities for my own growth as I continue to work hard.)
