I think the main advantage Liang has is that he has the innate strength to handle Hugo's backspin with hard to read short strokes. Both players have to prepare early and telegraph to Hugo which gives him a lot of time to prepare and kill the ball.
The retired team is Harimoto-Hayata. But it's basically the usual suspects, the Japanese, Koreans, North Koreans and fellow Chinrse with nods to Hong Kong, Taiwanand Sweden. But if Sun and Wang are on, your playing level is irrelebant.
The problem when playing Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin is that you always know that they have to play badly for you to win (this is even true when they played Lin Shidong and Kuai Man). When they play their game, the challenge is always for the female player on the other team to handle Wang'a...
I think Togami gets credit for replicating his form in Japan and TTBL. I deduct points for his inflexibility. Beating Truls was the first really different thing he had to do that he wouldn't have done in the TTBL or Japan and he messed it up, playing well to take the lead but showing the...
LJK has always delivered at the WTTC though he faces by far his biggest task tomorrow (by the way, was it me or was he practicing some backspin - no spin Ma Long serves against LSD)...
And neither WCQ and LSD have the unbeatable consistency of Ma Long (and to a lesser degree Zhang Jike and Xu...
With Ito now winning a WTTC medal, I think she puts herself ahead in the conversation for the greatest Japanese player of this era. Maybe having early success isn't as damaging as it is made out to be, especially when you have Wang Yidi....
The current crop of CNT players is quite beatable if things are right, but you have to play a high quality game. The plastic balls have democratized the game a little, spin is not as dangerous as it used to be and hybrid rubbers have reduced the difference between Chinese rubbers and...
The problem is that Truls started starting thr points a bit differently and going for the kinds of serves he knew Togami wouldn't attack and stopped giving Togami the forehand without Togami working for it. And since Togami was spoiled by an early lead, he didnt feel the need to change tactics...
Its because you think stoicism is thr only proper approach to managing emotions. This is completely untrue. Sometimes you have to care to engage your emotions and play your best and this is different for everyone.
Yeah but regardless Felix is in Hugo's head. An has never beaten Hugo (usually wins a game but no more). It would have been a different tension if Hugo had gone down a game to Felix.
I was angry with An for beating Felix until that 3-1, 10-9 point. I forgive him completely after that amazing highlight. I was still right that he had no chance to win the match.