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In a new but gut-wrenching jersey?

They used to be Butterfly-esque in blade-making in the 90s. The Woodhouse-made Nittaku P500 and P700 were highly-prized models. The instrument series as you see in the video, while unique and high-quality, did not really capture the mass market due to the premium price tag. Nonetheless, the...

A little over 4 years ago, at the Korea Open 2013, veteran Suh Hyowon edged out the spring chicken Ishikawa 4:3, and made a name for herself with that first tour title. Fast-forward to today, against a desperate Ishikawa, will Suh Hyowon manage a miracle? The answer is a big NO.

LGL has commented European players don't push themselves enough. Gatien held a similar view for his young countrymen, that they don't train hard enough.

I like how they streamlined the post-match interview process, by informing the player about the questions beforehand, resulting in less interruptions by cutting down back-and-forth translations, which is better for TV broadcast.

ML said the 4th game was the key. Boll didn't call TO until 5th game.

Gauzy didn't expect himself to play this great.

NextLevel and I actually had a debate on TO last year on Mytt for the match between DO and Matsu-ken at the Bulgarian Open 2017. And I started a thread on the art of TO with examples and quotes from CNT coaches.

Recall how many matches were drifting away until LGL called the TO and turned the tide. There're many Chinese articles written on the art of TO. Yup, the art of TO.

A TO at that point is usually called just so your player can get a breather and gather his thought, and hopefully to disrupt the flow and streak of the opponent.

Here comes the final, folks.

Both all-wood and ALC have been seen. The ALC is pretty certain to be Viscaria, but not sure for the all-wood.

In that match, it appears to me Simon ran out of gas after taking the first 2 games. He played Gatien-aggressive to compensate for his technique and like his predecessor, his body couldn't keep up. All in all, he played great. I saw the desire in his eyes. That's a good start.

There're two sides to a coin, though. ML said he decided to fix up his backhand after losing ZJK in the final at World Cup 2014. Changing to H3 on the backhand is said to force him to break his habit of borrowing power from the opponent, since tacky rubbers make you work for your shots. OTOH...

That's not surprising. The last time Fukuhara and Ishikawa were eliminated by Wu Yang at German Open 2013, Fukuhara consulted with a Chinese coach, who told them that both of them played too safe against choppers. JTTA then hired 2 full-time choppers from China as training partners and things...

In that case, the odds is against Ishikawa. She lost more in singles but won more in team. The last time she lost was in the Korea Open 2017.

From the podcasts and interviews, I get the impression that they have made zero attempt. It's not just for technique and equipment that they think China has an advantage. I've heard multiple times that they feel CNT players are physically stronger than them.

Yet, Ishikawa's record against DN and LSW remains at a fat O. On a serious note, she is under immense pressure to perform. She is now the eldest on the team, at ONLY 25 years old. Numerous TV programs of her makes that a catchphrase. The ABS 40+ has taken a toll on her game and, at her age...

Ever heard of Miu Hirano? She was so cheerful after becoming World Cup holder and ATTC Champion. 6 months down the road, she was crying on national television, mumbling "table tennis is no fun." When you decide to go against China, be well prepared for the consequences. They will do...

Oh, better not. Ai-chan's mom will get defensive. Wait, do they know Japan uses China's state-run program system as role model for their own?