Right now, one thing I notice is that, so far, China has not lost a match to a player from a different country. Not ONE. Not in singles. So far, not yet in team. My guess is, if they had to play every team, in the Olympic team event, maybe they would lose 2 or 3 matches total after playing . Even if you took the teams and made China list their order of play beforehand so the other team could try and match up against the the Chinese players however they think they can match up best. All the other 15 of the teams would lose to China.
The thing is, the top Chinese players are actually so much better than everyone else, that they can still struggle with a player who surprises them and pull out the win. From a technique standpoint, these are the best and most complete players in history. A guy like Waldner, if he could somehow go back to being 22-28 and have the advantage of learning all the new techniques as he developed so they were part of his game, his tactical mind might be able to take a match. But that is sci-fi fantasy TT. You can't time-travel and get someone from a different era to somehow come to the future in their prime.
If every player from every team played the top 4 Chinese players, and each Chinese player was in the situation where they knew a loss in a match would mean shame to their country, if there were real stakes on the line, all 4 Chinese players, playing a match verse every single player in the team event from a different country, maybe they would lose 5 or 6 matches total. Each CNT player playing 45 Olympic TT players from other countries, that is 180 matches, maybe they would lose a few. But I could also see them winning every single match if they stay on.
When was the last time China sent players to a tournament and did not win? How often do they send their top 4 and have all 4 in the semi-finals? Think about it. They are just that good. Nobody in the rest of the world trains or scouts young talent the way China does.
In Singles Ma Long was 4-0 against players from a different country. ZJK was 4-0 against players from a different country. So far in the teams the Chinese team is 9-0. So, so far in the Olympics China is 17-0. I don't see much that would change that pattern. I wish this was not the case. But I am a realist. In American Football in 1972 the Miami Dolphins had a perfect season. They went 14-0 in the regular season. They went 3-0 in the playoffs. the total is 17-0. No other football team has done that and gone through a whole season without a loss. You have to understand how big going 17-0 thus far actually is. If they lose a match in the finals against Japan I will be happy. As I see it, it won't change the stats. 20-1 = 180-9. Somehow, I think they are better than 180-9 if they really want to be.
