European Championships 2018

Ilia Minkin said:

She actually won a lot of points with her BH. It seems that her FH is not consistent enough to attack continuously in the expedited game.

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I sat through the match again. Here's the data. Pesotska's BH didn't really win her that many points. There were many instances where she would open with the BH and then reset the next one, instead of following up with the FH. She took too much time to set up her point(pushing and waiting for the right moment) given her neutral stance, which was exacerbated after the expedite rule kicked in. Her FH smash went downhill after the 2nd game.

Game 1
Lost
9:6, opened w/ BH, then BH fast-loop
Won
9:8, BH fast-loop

Game 2
Won
0:1, opened w/ BH
2:4, opened w/ BH
6:10, opened w/ BH, then FH smash(expedite ruled kicked in after this point)
Lost
3:4, opened w/ BH, reset, opened w/ FH, then FH smash
3:5, opened w/ FH, reset, opened w/ BH, reset, opened w/ FH, then FH fast-loop x2, reset, opened w/ FH, then FH fast-loop
5:7, opened w/ BH, reset, opened w/ FH

Game 3
Lost
0:0, opened w/ BH, then FH smash
3:7, opened w/ BH, reset, opened w/ BH, then BH fast-loop
6:8, opened w/ BH fast-loop, reset, opened w/ BH fast-loop, reset, then FH fast-loop

Game 4
Lost
5:6, opened w/ FH, then FH fast-loop x2, reset, opened w/ BH, then FH fast-loop
6:9, opened w/ BH, counterlooped by Li
Won
5:8, BH fast-loop

Game 5
Won
1:4, opened w/ BH

Game 6
Lost
0:5, opened w/ BH, reset, opened w/ FH, reset, opened w/ BH, then BH slow-loop x2, then BH fast-loop
1:6, opened w/ BH, reset, opened w/ BH, reset, opened w/ BH
2:9, opened w/ FH, reset, opened w/ BH, then FH fast-loop, reset, opened w/ BH, then FH fast-loop, then FH fast-loop

Check out how Ito played a similar game as Pesotska and steamrolled Wu Yang, basically opening with FH and smashing the next one, very effective with the ABS ball carrying less spin now. Ito started missing her smashes in the 3rd game but adjusted in time. That's what Pesotska lacked.

Why was this put in place?

Xylit said:

Women's singles final with the expedite system. Never seen that before in a pro match

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zeio said:

Another sad day for European table tennis.

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Well, it is a sad day in two respects. All credit to Timo, but it really is about time a new breed of European players came up to dominate the game. At least there are quite a few bubbling under.

The other sad reason is that, (with all due credit to Li Qian today) for the 10th time in the last 15 European Championships the WS title has gone to a player born in China. In the Euro Top 12, make that 12 wins in the last 15 tournaments.

zzzuppp said:

Well, it is a sad day in two respects. All credit to Timo, but it really is about time a new breed of European players came up to dominate the game. At least there are quite a few bubbling under.

The other sad reason is that, (with all due credit to Li Qian today) for the 10th time in the last 15 European Championships the WS title has gone to a player born in China. In the Euro Top 12, make that 12 wins in the last 15 tournaments.

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I agree. For that same reason I was hoping for a Franziska vs Karlsson final, but it was not to be

Don’t get me wrong, Ionescu is promising too, but I fear that this was just a case of a “streaky” player on a one-time winning streak - a little like Lebesson two years ago. I do hope that he proves me wrong eventually, though

Regarding the women: that’s just the way it is, I’m afraid . At least this time there were only two Chinese in the quarters and just one in the semis. In the previous years this was even worse: 4/3 in 2016, 4/2 in 2015 and 7/4 (!!!) in 2013.

Also BIG respect to the two runner-ups: Ovidiu Ionescu and Margaryta Pesotska!

They really earned their place in the finals with several great wins:

- Ionescu against Lebesson (defending champion), Groth, Samsonov and Kristian Karlsson.
- Pesotska against Samara (2015 Champion), Han Ying and Polcanova.

Germany was easily the best country overall with 3 gold and 3 1/2 bronze medals.

On the negative side, the French men and the Romanian women had to leave Alicante without any medals this year...

Facts, facts, facts and data...

zeio said:

I sat through the match again. Here's the data. ......
.........

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You really love this sport don't you. Well done for giving this so much time.

Ionescu was in incredible form. Hopefully he will be able to keep it up. So fast and aggressive. Maybe if he played more artful instead of relying on raw power, he would have a chance against Timo.

Timo Boll the Roger Federer

Ionescu had a lot of unforced error in the match with timo boll

I really feel bad for Franziska. Had a great chance to win the title.

Tinykin said:

You really love this sport don't you. Well done for giving this so much time.

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Fortunately, it didn't take too long with fast-forwarding. Besides, it's worth spending the time over the ETTC singles finalist. She makes for a great case study because Asian players don't play like this at all. Here's the data for Pesotska VS Han Ying. Other than the 1st game, she lost more points using her BH.

Game 1
Won
5:7, BH fast-loop
6:7, BH fast-loop
10:10, BH fast-loop
Lost
10:9, BH fast-loop

Game 2
Won
7:3, BH fast-loop
Lost
opened w/ BH, reset, opened w/ FH, reset, opened w/ FH, then FH fast-loop

Expedite rule kicked in at 9:8, and Han Ying's fate was pretty much sealed.

Game 3
Won
0:1, BH fast-loop
Lost
2:1, BH fast-loop
5:2, opened with FH, then FH fast-loop, reset, opened with FH, reset, BH fast-loop
7:4, opened with BH, then BH fast-loop

Game 4
Won
2:6, opened with BH, reset, then BH fast-loop
Lost
2:4, opened with BH, then BH fast-loop
4:6, BH fast-loop
4:10, BH fast-loop

Game 5
Lost
6:7, opened with FH, then FH slow-loop, reset, opened with BH, then BH fast-loop, then FH smash

this analysis is good but I do not it is about her BH or FH. It is all about mentality. She had a game plan for Li Qian and it was working great while she was very patient and mostly pushing the ball. If you take a look she almost never attack twice. It was alway topspin then push. LQ wasn't prepare for this and it seemed she had not idea what to do when Pesotska was playing very safe.
I think it was great adjustement by LQ who started attacking a lot and Pesotska was always waiting. It is good to look when LQ was serving and Pesotska never attacked, she was waiting when LQ use 12 shots.

Yes, Pesotska could not attack over and over again, and it was the expedite that rule turned the tables.

Ilia Minkin said:

Yes, Pesotska could not attack over and over again, and it was the expedite that rule turned the tables.

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Yes. The fact that Pesotska had beaten Han Ying says something about her skills vs defence.

This is what in short said Li Qian at press conference in Warsaw after winning gold medal.

- I am very happy with the victory in the European championship, I made a big dream, but today I am a little stressed. I do not speak Polish very well, so it is more stressful for me to participate in a conference than to play table tennis. I still do not believe that I won the coveted gold medal.

The athlete from China for many years lives and trains in Tarnobrzeg, and every day trains under the supervision of Zbigniew Nęcek and Kinga Stefańska.

- I really wanted to thank them. For several years I did not play at the highest level, but the coach Nęcek still believed in me, he still helped and motivated me. For over a dozen years, my "sister" Kinga Stefańska has been very supportive of me. Together we work on trainings, and after classes we can talk about everything. In the final in Alicante, I heard how she shouting topspin to me. In the heat of battle, I forgot about this play, but Kinga reacted immediately.

In Alicante, Li Qian also defeated, among others Austrian Amelie Solja, Romanian Bernadette Szocs and Russian Polina Mikhailowa.

- It was very difficult to meet with Mikhailova, whom I had never won before, and with Szocs. She, in turn, did not lose against defenders at all.

On Wednesday, Li Qian, called "Little" due to physical conditions, returns to China. She had not seen her four-year-old son for a few weeks. She will return to Poland next month; On the 13th of October, Siarka start their season in the Champions League.

- I feel that I am half Polish and half Chinese. I love Polish kabanos, I can fry pancakes, make an omelette, cook onion soup. However, my child is in China, and I really want to see them, talking through skype is not the same. But of course I will be training and preparing myself for the best part of the season.

The goal of Li Qian, which emphasizes the coach of the national team and Enea Siarki Nęcek, are the Tokyo Games in 2020. A month later, there will be another individual European Championships in which "Little" will defend the title. This European Championships will be in Warsaw.


Here what Katarzyna Grzybowska - Franc said.

- This is definitely my best tournament in my career. I defeated several rivals I had never won before. In Alicante, I played better every day, and my form was ... shock! When I was promoted to the quarterfinals, I knew that the medal was so close. Four hours before the decisive duel, I told myself that it was good that I would manage to not " burn ". Anyway, I did not include ping-pong websites throughout the competition, I wanted to completely shut down, cut off everything and focus on the game, not read the opinions of others about their game. And I know that after one or the other win I could " to excite " positive comments, and this I wanted to avoid ".

In the European Championships in Alicante she won with the Russian woman Valeria Shcherbatykh, former European champion Austrian Liu Jia, Romanian Daniela Dodean Monteiro and German Sabina Winter. It was not until the semi-final that she lost to the later gold medalist, friend of the Li Qian team.

- The most difficult was the first fight, because firstly I did not know what to expect and secondly I was a favorite and I should just win. In subsequent rounds, the rivals should dominate and I could relax. Before the game with Shcherbatykh I was very tense. In the quarterfinals with Winter I played at a great risk, because only in this way I could win the medal. I won 4: 0, so very high and it was my best career game. For 21 years I have been working on this success in table tennis. I signed up in the Polish history of this discipline.

The coach of the national team Zbigniew Nęcek, present at the Tuesday press conference, said: "In the case of Li Qian, the gold medal was a great surprise, because for years she has been at the forefront of Europe, and when it comes to Katarzyna - it is a sensation. In no calculations, certainly other coaches did not take into account that she could be on the podium.

Translated comments on Sina News(equivalent to Yahoo News), on Boll reaching the SF and Samsonov beating Dima, and the end of myth for 55-year-old Ni Xialian

In reverse chronological order:
Old shrimp [Sichuan Chengdu]
Can't say that, he's still a handful when playing crazy, but his level fluctuates quite a lot. //@Reveal hypocrisy: Ovtcharov is simply hugely overrated.
September 24th 18:07 Report View Conversation Like 2 Reply

Old shrimp [Sichuan Chengdu]
European table tennis is still the world of veterans such as Boll, Lao Sa(Oldie Samsonov). How can Europe compete with Guoping(CNT)?
September 24th 18:06 Report Like 3 Reply

Lonely Hummer [Hunan Changsha]
55-year-old stamina is not enough.
September 24, 17:00 Report Like Reply

Reveal hypocrisy [Shanghai]
Ovtcharov is simply hugely overrated.
September 24, 15:23 Report Like 1 Reply

User 6628086517[Shenzhen, Guangdong]
37-year-old Boll is amazing!
September 24th 07:08 Report Like 5 Reply

Xa_lzx[Xi'an, Shaanxi]
European Championships: European Veteran Table Tennis Championships, 37 years old, 43 years old, 55 years old, still playing, zero European table tennis successors. Under the eyes of the ITTF President, table tennis is desolate. With a few old guns supporting the facade, the German still has the face to be the President of the ITTF? !
September 24th 06:49 Report Like 1 Reply

March_nz[Hong Kong]
I thought that Zhang Jike had already retired.
September 23rd 23:13 Report Like 1 Reply

Official fan _hf[Hong Kong]
Lao Wa(Oldie Waldner) played to his 40s, and was still world class, whereas those of our country get to be retired after 30 years old.
September 23, 22:37 Report Like 7 Reply

Microsoft Xiaobing [Sina Agency Certification] [Hong Kong]
Boll had the victory
September 23, 21:10 Report Like 4 Reply

Once owned nin[Jiangsu Huai'an]
Germany is your dad. Hong Kong scum. //@My world is wonderful because of you_pn: Boll is really a great man, I hope he can win the men's singles at the upcoming WTTC.
September 23 at 20:53 Report View Conversation Like Reply

Tanalex space [Shanghai]
Sister Lian(Ni Xialian) reaches the final 4 and gets medals. Is that a new world record?
September 23, 20:46 Report Like 3 Reply

My world is wonderful for you _pn[Hong Kong]
Boll is really a great man, I hope he can win the men's singles at the upcoming WTTC.
September 23, 19:46 Report Like 2 Reply

Despise you 009 [Netherlands]
IQ is worrying //@ Henan Luoyang Gengxu Jushi: Hehe Ni Xialian has not retired, so you can not assert that is the end of the myth! The Chinese reporters are spreading nonsense, which could lead to international disputes! If it is used by India, Japan and other countries that are hostile to China, it could cause a war?
September 23, 17:31 Report View Conversation Like 1 Reply

Traditional Chinese characters and dictation-reading [Guangdong Guangzhou]
Support Boll, Samsonov
September 23, 17:06 Report Like 5 Reply

Henan Luoyang Gengxu Jushi [Henan Luoyang]
Hehe Ni Xialian has not retired, so you can not assert that is the end of the myth! The Chinese reporters are spreading nonsense, which could lead to international disputes! If it is used by India, Japan and other countries that are hostile to China, it could cause a war?
September 23, 15:55 Report Like 5 Reply

User 5956149029 [Guangdong Foshan]
Good job, Boll
September 23, 11:45 Report Like 5 Reply

On Boll taking the ETTC title for the 7th time and former Chinese chopper getting crowned women's champ

Wuwuwuwu [Guangdong Shantou]
European table tennis is very popular with many people playing, but it's true that it's not treated with emphasis. Table tennis is the national sport. This is glory. You aren't proud of it if you have it, though you want it if you can't get it (picking nose emote) You're being an ass. //@Wanhua Shengshi Gengyunshe: Talk about competing, when there are so few people in Europe who play table tennis. It's only China that takes this broken sport as the national sport!
Report on September 26th at 13:27 Report View Conversation Like Reply

Old shrimp [Sichuan Chengdu]
European table tennis rest in peace! (despise emote)
September 25, 23:24 Report Like 2 Reply

露子_69686[Beijing]
"The 37-year-old German veteran Boll won the European Championship men's singles title for the 7th time." I don't know how some people in China would react to this news. Foreigners are still champions at the age of 37, but Chinese athletes are just 27 years old and 28 years old and "getting old". Foreign players regard Chinese athletes as treasures, but some people in China think otherwise. (tears emote)
September 25th 18:48 Report Like 9 Reply

User 6628086517[Shenzhen, Guangdong]
gratz
September 25 at 16:55 Report Like Reply

Chaoxiang golfer who is Yan Jia [Zhejiang Jiaxing]
Can't compete with China
September 25, 11:19 Report Like 2 Reply

User 64384351303 [Shenzhen, Guangdong]
Congratulations to Fan Zhendong for winning the men's singles championship in the table tennis competition. This is China's pride. I hope that China will continue to maintain its leading position in the field of table tennis and promote the development of other sports.
September 25th 10:16 Report Like Reply

I am peas kiss v [Zhejiang Hangzhou]
Congratulations to Fan Zhendong for winning the men's singles championship in the table tennis competition. This is China's pride. I hope that China will continue to maintain its leading position in the field of table tennis and promote the development of other sports.
September 25th 10:01 Report Like Reply

Xa_lzx[Xi'an, Shaanxi]
Europeans have stolen the president of the ITTF, but table tennis in Europe is in twilight, stormy and facing the situation of getting ousted. The European Championships are aging, “37, 42, 55”, it has become an “entertainment” for the “elderly”.
September 25, 09:30 Report Like Reply

Atpb186[Linyi, Shandong]
Worth admiring! Make yourself shine, passing the positive energy of self-confidence and self-reliance! //@user6648086517: 37-year-old Boll winning the European Championship is worthy of congratulations! Li Qian’s return to the women’s crown after giving birth is also great, and it is also worthy of congratulations!
September 25th 08:33 Report View Conversation Like 5 Reply

Old shrimp [Sichuan Chengdu]
Boll once again won the championship, proving that there is no newcomer in European table tennis, and once Boll retires, Europe will even be more unable to compete with Guoping(CNT).
September 24, 21:15 Report Like 3 Reply

Huuhgg[Guangdong Zhongshan]
The old man takes the championship, this is the sorrow of table tennis.
September 24th 19:29 Report Like 3 Reply

Wanhua Shengshi Gengyunshe [Heilongjiang Daqing]
Talk about competing, when there are so few people in Europe who play table tennis. It's only China that takes this broken sport as the national sport!
September 24, 15:31 Report Like 6 Reply

Wanhua Shengshi Gengyunshe [Heilongjiang Daqing]
There are so few people playing, how to improve! //@呢呢和屋丝丝: The veteran winning the championship is certainly admirable, but does this also mean that the young people have failed to keep up!
September 24, 15:29 Report View Conversation Like Reply

Reveal hypocrisy [Shanghai]
After all this time, Europe is still these old faces, simply impossible to compete with China.
September 24, 15:16 Report Like 7 Reply

Snow Lake in Suzhou [Suzhou, Jiangsu]
No newcomers, still the veterans win. The gap between Asia and Europe is growing.
September 24, 11:42 Report Like 7 Reply

And the house silk [Henan Xuchang]
The veteran winning the championship is certainly admirable, but does this also mean that the young people have failed to keep up!
September 24th 10:24 Report Like 23 Reply

Asianrunner[California]
This explains that Europeans have so few people playing! Pity //@@6648086517: 37-year-old Boll winning the European Championship is worthy of congratulations! Li Qian’s return to the women’s crown after giving birth is also great, and it is also worthy of congratulations!
September 24th 09:51 Report View Conversation Like 17 Reply

User 6628086517[Shenzhen, Guangdong]
37-year-old Boll winning the European Championship is worthy of congratulations! Li Qian’s return to the women’s crown after giving birth is also great, and it is also worthy of congratulations!
September 24th 09:4 8 Reports Like 51 Reply

A passage from the article reads:

Boll says that he believes he can play for a longer time because he feels good and is very surprised to win the European Championship. Boll thinks that Ionescu is a very smart opponent. He is well prepared, the ball speed is very fast, the shots are heavy, and he is very confident. Sweden used to be the king of the European Table Tennis Championships and won the European Championship men's singles championship 12 times. Since Rosskopf won the championship in 1992, the Germans have now crowned the European Championship 10 times, a step closer to Sweden's record.

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Ilia Minkin said:

Yes, Pesotska could not attack over and over again, and it was the expedite that rule turned the tables.

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I'm sorry but the expedite rule worked in favor of Pesotska. She was down 7:10 in the 2nd game against Li Qian when it kicked in, and came back to take it 12:10. She was leading 8:3, also in the 2nd game, before Han Ying equalized it at 8:8 and then it kicked into effect at 9:8. She barely took that game 11:9.

Europe has some youngsters that look really promising at ~20 but then failing to make the final steps towards world elite. Calderano, Gauzy, Pitchford, Franziska... Still great top 20 players now but simply not reaching top 5. For these players the ETTU needs good personal trainers