WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 (10 Nov - 15 Nov 2026)

[pingpongnerd]

Uncle Fang played Luka Pips Magic and lost 0-3 in Portugal. I know the fang boys believe in miracles but it will take a while if ever.

It wasn't as bad as the match where he lost 0–3 to Gauzy. He only scored 8 points the entire match.

 

[Bran]

Yokotani posted on his X about the umpire's double (2) fault calls at 9:9 of G3.
https://x.com/YokoJo0501/status/2120846132704403551

Both serves, particularly the first one, seem to have the ball hidden by the head. The issue isn't so much calling the serves, though the umpire is very unlikely able to accurately judge the motion from his seat, but that he completely fails to communicate what the issue was, and calls the second serve before the motion is even finished, therefore significantly lowering the chances of rectifying the fault.

The ITTF has an official guide to umpires and referees that includes hand gestures and verbal communication to convey the part of the service that was faulted. By the date of the document, it's been around for at least 10 years.

Regardless of the accuracy of the calls (which is always questionable, given the long-standing issue that the referee isn't in a position to fully enforce service legality), there was a training issue with the umpire and the main referee's answer reported by Yokotani is also insufficient.

Umpires &Referees – Essential Document
New Hand Signals for Illegal Services

 

[zwin]

Fang Bo using butterfly blade and rubbers????

 

[zeio]

Both serves, particularly the first one, seem to have the ball hidden by the head. The issue isn't so much calling the serves, though the umpire is very unlikely able to accurately judge the motion from his seat, but that he completely fails to communicate what the issue was, and calls the second serve before the motion is even finished, therefore significantly lowering the chances of rectifying the fault.

The ITTF has an official guide to umpires and referees that includes hand gestures and verbal communication to convey the part of the service that was faulted. By the date of the document, it's been around for at least 10 years.

Regardless of the accuracy of the calls (which is always questionable, given the long-standing issue that the referee isn't in a position to fully enforce service legality), there was a training issue with the umpire and the main referee's answer reported by Yokotani is also insufficient.

Umpires &Referees – Essential Document
New Hand Signals for Illegal Services

The development of hand signals was proposed by HKTTA and passed by ITTF BoD in 5/2013. They were implemented in competitions by HKTTA starting in 6/2014 and by ITTF starting in 7/2016.

New Hand Signals to be Introduced
https://mytabletennis.net/FORUM/new-hand-signals-to-be-introduced_topic108698.html
2014 裁判員新手號 6月29日開始實施
https://hkttf.com/viewthread.php?tid=67996

 

[piligrim]

There were some serious time-wasting tactics going on in the match between Zong Gemen and Fan Shuhan. The whole match lasted almost an hour. The referee should have pulled out a yellow card for Zong.

You should look Amir Hossein HODAEI vs Nandan Naresh. The amount of time Amir wasting he should get yellow card before every point

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Zong Geman knocks out Miyu Nagasaki. Not a good tournament for double Miyu.

 

[zeio]

WS R16
Nagasaki WR18 (3) 1-3 Zong Geman WR76 (-9, 10, -8, -8)
G1 96, 911
🫠

 

[Coolsta Connor]

View attachment 44179
Fang Bo using butterfly blade and rubbers????

That has got to be FZD ALC with Zyre and D09c good catch woah

 

[Coolsta Connor]

Just watched Haug vs Thakkar. Great performance from Haug, can't exactly pickup how Thakkar choked open to hearing all ideas.

 

[zeio]

MS R16
Aditya Sareen (Q) 2-3 Elias Ranefur (3) (-9, -2, 13, 7, -7)
A close shave for Ranefur.

MS R32
Aditya Sareen WR115 (Q) 3-2 Evgeny Tikhonov WR69 (4, 9, -5, -7, 9)

It was no fluke AUS made PRK sweat at WTTC 2026.

 

[pingpongnerd]

It was a great effort by Adi, though it didn't help that Ranefur had two net shots in the deciding set.

 

[zeio]

WS R16
Arapovic WR92 2-3 Hirano WR25 (7) (8, -5, 5, -7, -5)
G5 13 TO for Arapovic, 15, 25, 28, 38, 39, 59, 511
First encounter.

The first encounter is usually the hardest/closest one (HY has also said that about CY winning in their first encounter recently). OTOH, Hirano losing her focus in G4 and blowing the lead (a habit that she has never fixed) actually reveals the lack of support she gets now (which would've helped), much like Kihara. If Voronina had more confidence (which will come with experience) and got that game, Hirano could've given up in G5 (another habit that she has never fixed).

 

[zeio]

XD SF
HYZ/QYX CPR186 2-3 Tikhonov/Panfilova CPR101 (4) (-3, 7, -8, 9, -9)
G5 710, 910, 911

RUS women for LA28 are pretty much set.
2003/04/29 Elizabet Abraamian
2004/11/19 Vlada Voronina
2005/10/10 Maria Panfilova

Adding Voronina to the LA28 watch list was right after all.

WD R16
Hashimoto/Nagasaki 3-2 (4) Voronina/Panfilova (-9, 7, 9, -8, 8)
Shibata/Muramatsu 0-3 Kihara/Hirano (3) (-5, -9, -8)

 

[andymagata]

That Bo Fang matchpoint is some pretty great movements right?

 

[FIXPOINT]

WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 WS R16

WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 MS R16

 

[FIXPOINT]

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

Sat, 14th Nov 2026
10:00 T1 WD SF KIHARA(JPN)/HIRANO(JPN) - YUAN(FRA)/PAVADE(FRA)
10:00 T2 WD SF KIM(KOR)/JOO(KOR) - HASHIMOTO(JPN)/NAGASAKI(JPN)
10:35 T1 MD SF MLADENOVIC(LUX)/VAN DESSEL(LUX) - KANG(KOR)/LIM(KOR)
10:35 T2 MD SF ARTEMENKO(RUS)/GREBNEV(RUS) - KRASTEV(BUL)/VELICHKOV(BUL)
11:10 T1 MS QF FANG Bo(KAZ) - Lubomir JANCARIK(CZE)
11:10 T2 MS QF Ricardo WALTHER(GER) - Borgar HAUG(NOR)
11:45 T1 WS QF ZONG Geman(CHN) - Miu HIRANO(JPN)
11:45 T2 WS QF Saki SHIBATA(JPN) - Kaho AKAE(JPN)
12:20 T1 WS QF Honoka HASHIMOTO(JPN) - Bruna TAKAHASHI(BRA)
12:20 T2 WS QF Bernadette SZOCS(ROU) - JOO Cheonhui(KOR)
12:55 T1 MS QF LI Tianyang(CHN) - Ryoichi YOSHIYAMA(JPN)
12:55 T2 MS QF KANG Dongsoo(KOR) - Elias RANEFUR(SWE)
18:50 T1 XD Final TIKHONOV(RUS)/PANFILOVA(RUS) - GREEN(ENG)/HURSEY(WAL)

 

[NextLevel]

WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 WS R16
View attachment 44189
WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 MS R16
View attachment 44190​

Wow Fang Bo beat a CNT player 3-0... the Fang Bois are rolling....

 

[NextLevel]

Watching the highlights, we may never find out but that reverse serve is not going to pass TTR....

 

[zeio]

WS QF
ZGM WR76 2-3 Hirano WR25 (6, -3, -8, 7, -8)
G1 56, 116
G3 58, 68, 69, 89 TO for Hirano, 811
All hail Coach Kihara? Hirano increased her FH usage a lot more after G1.
G4 31, 34 TO for ZGM, 36, 76[/b], 77, 117
Old habit dies hard for Hirano.
G5 10, 12, 32, 34 slight net for Hirano, 44, 45 endline edge for Hirano, 65, 66, 76, 77 ZGM served off the table, 710, 810, 811
Yet another first encounter.

WS QF
Hashimoto 3-0 Takahashi (3, 4, 6)
G2 44, 114

WS R16
Arapovic WR92 2-3 Hirano WR25 (7) (8, -5, 5, -7, -5)
G5 13 TO for Arapovic, 15, 25, 28, 38, 39, 59, 511
First encounter.

 

[blahness]

Fang Bo playing really well now! Especially with his new understanding of the BH game, it looks so powerful and strong now (his FH was always super good, but the BH liability plagued his game for years).

The reverse pendulum serves to the short FH were really good too.