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I just watched the match. Between the focus on how much power FZD has and his slump for most of the year, it's almost easy to forget how insanely fast he is.

I think he returned every Ma Long forehand flick this match except the couple in game 4. The sheer number of times he returned a full stroke ML forehand without actually backing off from the table was also absurd. Is this just a thing now? Are we just expected to be able to do that as a part of the modern game? In which case the modern game truly has changed. Otherwise, this is going to be one of those 'Well, that's just FZD being FZD' moments we'll be having in the years to come. That match was truly dominant.
 
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There were a couple were he expected the ball on the opposite side and still managed to stop his motion half-way, turn back to the other side *and* return the ball aggressively without, as you said, ever backing off the table. These flips from Ma Long would pierce through almost anyone, even if you knew where the ball was coming. My point is, it is not just the sheer level of anticipation (I think he has improved on that quite a bit too, and tactics in general) and cognitive abilities/reflexes, but the body speed is quite incredible, too. I do mean that, as in, making me re-evaluate what is humanly possible. So much for his nickname. As you suggest, I think the game (as in most sports) will keep moving into something more extreme and it is great to watch, but getting more out of reach than it has ever been when it comes to emulating what these guys are doing. I kind of watch these for the fun, awe and adrenaline, but sometimes revert to lower national divisions for more realistic inspiration, when it comes to my own game.
 
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I think he's been doing that since the celluloid days. It does get easier with the ABS ball.

 
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Before the Miyus,

we've seen in 2014 Miu-Mima winning both at age 14 the Grand Finals,
and in 2016 Hayata/Hamamoto (when this girl was still a young hope). But they didn't compete against Chinese pairs in these years.
last year in 2018 Hayata/Ito won the GF against SYS+CXT.

All in all, the Miyus GF victory may be the most surprising and significant one among those.
 
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Before the Miyus,

we've seen in 2014 Miu-Mima winning both at age 14 the Grand Finals,
and in 2016 Hayata/Hamamoto (when this girl was still a young hope). But they didn't compete against Chinese pairs in these years.
last year in 2018 Hayata/Ito won the GF against SYS+CXT.

All in all, the Miyus GF victory may be the most surprising and significant one among those.

Yes. That combined with the WJTTC results are a loud warning to the Chinese women. And we still haven't seen what Miwa Harimoto can do yet. Generations matter and it isn't clear they have a 15 year old on the level of Kihara (depending on how you evaluate Kuai Man), though the pips come with the usual issues...
 
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Yes. That combined with the WJTTC results are a loud warning to the Chinese women. And we still haven't seen what Miwa Harimoto can do yet. Generations matter and it isn't clear they have a 15 year old on the level of Kihara (depending on how you evaluate Kuai Man), though the pips come with the usual issues...
I feel like both Kuai and Chen Yi are good enough, They just started playing Juniors, Kihara has a ton of experience playing internationally and that's not even on Challenge tours only but playing with the big guns, That's just the difference. This is not like the obvious big gap between Harimoto and the Chinese 16 year olds, This one is just international experience in my opinion, And if I'm not mistaken Kihara and Nagasaki attended The WJTTC last year and China won all gold medals but one, so it's just exchanging blows in my opinion, there's no clear leader of some sort
 
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I feel like both Kuai and Chen Yi are good enough, They just started playing Juniors, Kihara has a ton of experience playing internationally and that's not even on Challenge tours only but playing with the big guns, That's just the difference. This is not like the obvious big gap between Harimoto and the Chinese 16 year olds, This one is just international experience in my opinion, And if I'm not mistaken Kihara and Nagasaki attended The WJTTC last year and China won all gold medals but one, so it's just exchanging blows in my opinion, there's no clear leader of some sort

Yes but Kihara and Nagasaki were 14 and 16 and Kihara lost a close match to Qian Tianyi. It will be interesting to see what happens next year but the Japanese are stacked as Nagasaki is still eligible next year. You may be right about the Chinese girls but something about Kihara tells me it is more than exposure. That said, Kuai Man did beat her, so that matchup will be interesting next year. But let's remember that China doesn't exchange blows in such things usually.
 
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Yes but Kihara and Nagasaki were 14 and 16 and Kihara lost a close match to Qian Tianyi. It will be interesting to see what happens next year but the Japanese are stacked as Nagasaki is still eligible next year. You may be right about the Chinese girls but something about Kihara tells me it is more than exposure. That said, Kuai Man did beat her, so that matchup will be interesting next year. But let's remember that China doesn't exchange blows in such things usually.


I wish new successes to Nagasaki, Kihara and Haruna next year!
 
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混双是重中之重,刘国梁已经强调过很多次,本次总决赛刘诗雯/许昕也获得了混双冠军,刘国梁认为:“混双夺冠值得肯定,我记得一年前我刚回到乒协说的第一句话就是'混双要重视',现在还是要重视,重视的程度虽然比以前强,但还是不够。因为客观上来说中国队五个项目大家都在全力竞争,在原有的四个奥运项目中,大家对参赛名额的竞争是非常激烈的,许昕和刘诗雯也一样肩负着其他项目的比赛训练。所以混双中,许昕/刘诗雯在大赛中取得了冠军,整体上成绩还不错,但优势并不是特别大。总体而言比赛成绩值得满意,但是过程距离我的预期还有差距,毕竟在东京奥运会中混双只有一对,场场都是决赛。”刘国梁细致地谈了混双现阶段距离他心中预期的差距,他说,“训练上,整个打法的体系上,还是有很大的空间,因为他们还没有完全抓在点上,或者说抠得还不是那么细致,客观上是因为他们也想竞争别的项目,会有一些分心,但这不是理由,大家还是要去抠,还是要去研究,混双作为新增的奥运项目,对我们来说也没有备战经验,东道主设置了混双,也一定是下了功夫的。”

LGL did a brief review of WTGF. On XD, he is generally pleased with XX and LSW's performance as they have clinched major titles this year (presumably referring to World Championships, Asian Championships and WTGF) but they still do not have any significant advantage over the other pairs. While the end result (i.e. gold) is satisfactory, he thinks that the process leaves much to be desired. Specifically, he opined that there is much room for improvement in terms of the way training is conducted and their style of play because they have yet to fully grasp the recipe for aceing XD. One reason for this is because both XX and LSW also want to compete for other events (Singles) which distracts them. However, this is not an acceptable excuse as each national association can only send one XD pair and China technically doesn't have an edge in this regard either since this is a new Olympics event.

Perhaps this foreshadows how XX and LSW might be dropped from Singles selection so that they can concentrate on being the Doubles specialists that they were assigned to from the onset. Ironic that their forte could end up disadvantaging them from pursuing other aspirations despite their best efforts (dominating the Summer season for XX and winning WTTC and WC for LSW) to prove the coaches wrong if this turns out to be true.
 
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Objectively speaking, Liu Shiwen has not shown that she has the stamina to compete in 3 events at the same time. Yet her consistency this year at major events proves CNT's philosophy that world tours are meaningless if one isn't able to perform at majors.

Liu Shiwen only needs to beat Ito at next year's WTTC to seal the deal, IMO.
 
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Objectively speaking, Liu Shiwen has not shown that she has the stamina to compete in 3 events at the same time. Yet her consistency this year at major events proves CNT's philosophy that world tours are meaningless if one isn't able to perform at majors.

Liu Shiwen only needs to beat Ito at next year's WTTC to seal the deal, IMO.

If Ito is in good shape, an LSW victory is unlikely ....
 
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Objectively speaking, Liu Shiwen has not shown that she has the stamina to compete in 3 events at the same time. Yet her consistency this year at major events proves CNT's philosophy that world tours are meaningless if one isn't able to perform at majors.

Liu Shiwen only needs to beat Ito at next year's WTTC to seal the deal, IMO.

Agree that stamina is a huge issue, but Opens last 5 days while the Olympics 14 days so that is not so bad for the 'oldies'? Asian Championships is probably the closest trial run (lasting 8 days and comprising team, doubles and singles) which she did decently well in. Her main weakness IMO is she usually runs out of steam towards the end for full-distance games. Her QF loss to CM is exactly the same as her Japan Open loss to SYS – starts slow and loses the first two sets, ups her game to claim the next three sets, only to flail the last two sets.

Against Ito, LSW did recently state her intentions to play with the former if chances arise or CNT might put the favourites to the test by sending only one/two of them to defend the upcoming Opens. I'm sure these two would meet someday before the Olympics. IMO, they are toe-to-toe if both are at 100% so should be a good one (I mean, they have always gone the full distance in 2018 even when LSW was stagnant in her performance).
 
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Well if LSW doesn't play singles I really wonder who will they be selecting.
XX on the contrary I'm surprised he still thinks about singles, I thought he was more realistic about his chances to be selected for this event.

I think it's also the people around him who encourage him not to give up on Singles. If memory serves, Wang Liqin openly stated his support for XX following the latter's ascendency.

I notice something interesting during the WTGF, namely that SYS has been consistently seated next to LGL and Li Sun while the others are either at the side or sitting behind. Probably some sort of reverse psychology to spur the other girls (both those on court and off court) to work harder haha.
 
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I think it's also the people around him who encourage him not to give up on Singles. If memory serves, Wang Liqin openly stated his support for XX following the latter's ascendency.

I wonder if XX's approach will change now his chances of selection for singles is well and truly gone. He is now the clear third option for singles(mostly because the people after him aren't great options). If Ma Long or FZD are very injured he will be next in line, but there's no way he will get selected over those two if healthy now.

He now has nothing to prove in singles, he won't get one of the 2 spots, and there is no one realistically challenging him for the third spot in case of injury. May as well concentrate on the doubles now.

LSW on the other hand has more of a case for a singles spot.
 
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The trophy and medal could be less... oriental?

For our English speaking friends.

A closer look of the "medal", which is a 鼎(ding), roughly the equivalent of a cauldron. In Chinese, 問鼎(inquiring of the ding) used to refer to the throne, and now means the highest honor.

On the ding is a rendition of "問鼎中原(Conquering China)" in 篆書(seal script), which is over 2000 years old.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ding_(vessel)
In Chinese history and culture, possession of one or more ancient ding is often associated with power and dominion over the land. Therefore, the ding is often used as an implicit symbolism for power. The term "inquiring of the ding" (Chinese: 问鼎; pinyin: wèn dǐng) is often used interchangeably with the quest for power.
 
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