Recent content by Bran

There's such a thing as living abroad.

Yes, just a wording shortcut. I would call it a sitter as well. At that level, on such key points, he shouldn't have missed. And it was also not the first one, he had another very similar point earlier in the game, short side/float serve that got pushed back into a low quality ball, that he...

Well, that and a bit of help from Alexis not putting away that high return at 2-0 10-9. That wasn't LJK willpower, at that level, that was an unfortunate gift from his opponent. LJK did well to manage the comeback, but it shouldn't have been allowed in the first place. I hope Alexis recovers...

There's a very pronounced two-speed effect on the CI, with a sudden uptick in speed somewhere in medium gear, much more than the usual inner blades. It wasn't mine, but it felt quite difficult to control because of it. Handle is chunky and a bit squarish.

The HK women's team always seems to transcend themselves during such events. The players are good but not outstanding, yet they manage to give a lot of trouble to teams that are individually much stronger. They also seem to uphold the tradition of the bright hair dye since Minnie So.

Local produce and British gastronomy at its finest. 👨‍🍳 This team of youngsters managed their transition very well after CCY, and despite KCJ dropping off the radar, presumably for injuries.

Her knee was taped up, and she also limped for a step or two after celebrating the final point against Pesotska. The match was a point away and a tiny bit of extra composure or experience would have taken it over the line. It was objectively not a bad strategy.

Tough outcome. She tightened up in the last points, with more experience, she would have taken it. That backhand miss on the first match point, in particular.

I had hardly heard about her before this tournament. She's strong and powerful, aggressive, complete, composed. Impressive.

Why wasn't Amy Wang selected in the US team? Injuries? Focus on studies?

Inappropriate contact by security at the airport venue, under investigation. @zeio had posted other details, including official statements by CIC and the Taiwanese federation. https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/05/04/2003856724

Gewo rubber. Plus the odds of playing a red Hurricane on FH are pretty low.

Worth a watch to see the difference with ZGR in the hands of a pro, and also glued on a Joola Trinity. You can tell the new rubbers, particularly the Charged, are markedly more direct and are more than a simple iteration. Excellent channel by the way, Ibrahima Diaw publishes excellent vlogs on...

No less sad that this fraction of the population (though clearly not the most rational one) happens to also be anti Japan.

Looks like limba, likely koto, ayous, with limba and ayous arranged along the handle direction and medial ply counter to it. Limba seems obvious on the top ply, I can guess koto on the side picture, though higher quality pics would help and ayous is recognisable by its little holes when you...