Travesty is enforcing a rule that doesn't exist.
I'm not saying it shouldn't exist. Personally, I'd do away with the verticality requirement altogether and increase the height requirement a bit, perhaps even double it. This would would ensure it's tossed upwards and not sideways.
If we're gonna go pedantic, note that there is still at this time no such rule anywhere in the ITTF handbook that mentions a 30 degree angle.
The server shall then project the ball near vertically upwards
This is the letter of the law. The 30° nonsense is an arbitrary travesty.
Spent the day in Ljubljana yesterday, had a great time.
Watching the semis on YouTube right now, and OH MY GOD, the commentator sounds like he's covering a funeral!
Literally not having a commentator at all is better than this.
The Chinese are galvanized by yesterday's match, they're gonna steamroll over Japan.
Unless TH and Sora show up particularly inspired, which I don't think they will.