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I think the first game really messed him up.

Ito thrives on high arcing topspin and doesn't like players who drive the ball through the table. It isn't easy to vary spin when the ball is coming at you at 100mph.

Very funny. The cool thing is that the coaches are around the players all the time. The choices are always based on more information than we have.

She stepped back and launched those backhands. I found that really impressive.

The rule has been around for years and yet it isn't enforced when people like Yoshimura and Ito abuse it. Ma Long has been abusing it for years but I guess we all ignore it because we like him. Compare it to how Jeoung serves and you see a clear difference.

Their chances of both for me are equal (almost zero). Germany, Taipei and South Korea are the only teams with near miraculous performances that can beat Japan before the final. Ito has to go cold and so do Ishikawa and Hirano. Ishikawa and Hirano are not chopped liver. Even if they lose the...

First of all I agree with the general sentiment that Hayata and Ito would be on the best team to oppose China. Especially if Ito and Hayata played doubles in the team event. I think that the idea that the result would be the same regardless of the team has merit but doesn't seriously...

I think this misunderstands the value of team preparation in growing Chinese players. Just about all the top Japanese players would be able to hold their own in the CNT if forced to as they would be forced to train with higher level players. The system would treat them differently though...

As much as this is an interesting view of Ishikawa, the truth is that for the most part, she has been the most consistent non-ethnic Chinese player of the past decade. Had a callow Ito not lost to Petrissa Solja in 2016 Olympics, she would have won silver for Japan with her strong performance...

People forget that in 2016, Xu Xin also choked in the Olympic trials by losing to CCY very badly. In the same tournament, ZJK managed to avoid losing till the loss to ML in the SF. Fan got to the final and lost to ML. I know it is a long time ago but things like that also affected LSW. The...

English is probably not your first language but ZJK was the WTTC champ in 2011 (which qualified him for 2012) and 2013 (which qualified him for 2016). XX has no WTTC title and choked away his best chance to make one (since his prior losses had been to teammates) by losing to Gauzy. Is that...

I doubt it will, he has 6 months to prepare and they will give him every support they can. The guy has done too much for China for them to not give him just about anything he wants. ZJK was worse and got more investment.

We have discussed this many times. But the answer, which you can check if you review the Olympic selection history of China is the the (two) WTTC champs of the prior cycle to the Olympics will play the Olympics singles unless there is some serious reason to not pick them.

I was all the way with you until you proposed the ridiculous notion that Japan cannot get a silver medal in team with Ishikawa and Hirano. Japan could field the defenders and Hayata in team and still win the silver medal. The gold is the only thing up for debate if at all.

Guys, Xu Xin had one of the best draws possible at the WTTC. What did he do? Lose to Gauzy. You don't come back from that unless no one else is better than you. Fan boys need to remember that.

Someone needs to remind Xu Xin that the first prize is $100k. Seems he is getting the memo.

Why does this look like an arranged match? Xu Xin wants to go home.

In 2017, Miu Hirano was the darling of the TT world. Only non-Chinese Women's World Cup winner, Asian Champion and bronze medal at the WTTC. Now, still a great player (let us not lose perspective), she fails to make the Olympic team in singles. Life can be tough.

Looks like Ding Ning is still injured or whatever excuse the CNT has given for her recent performances.

Such comparisons, like I mentioned earlier when someone compared Hayata and Kato, do not do justice to the fact that the higher ranked players do play fewer events partly because they have those invitations and better seeding.