Major updates to Marvellous 12
1) Wang Chuqin continues to be suspended
CNT is making good on their word of suspending WCQ, so he is not getting a place on M12 even though he played in the preliminary stage (lol?). Apparently, the coaches set the (nearly impossible) condition that he could be included if he did not lose a single match for the initial trials but he did so... oops!
2) Revamped Singles Format
单打赛制方面，本次直通赛分为两个阶段：第一阶段采用7局4胜的单场淘汰赛制。第一阶段第一轮比赛，根据种子排名进行抽签，两两比拼决出6位晋级选手；第二轮比赛，6位选手依然根据种子排名再次进行抽签、两两比拼决出晋级第二阶段的3位选手。
第二阶段，从第一阶段脱颖而出的3位选手采用7局4胜的“血战到底”赛制。第二阶段第一轮比赛中，如果某位选手获得两连胜，则比赛结束，该名全胜的队员获得最终的冠军。若出现3人互有胜负的情况，则三人再增加一轮只打一局11分的比赛；再出现互有胜负，再增加一轮只打一局从5：5开局的比赛；还未出现全胜的选手，再增加一轮只打一局从8：8开局的比赛；仍未有全胜的选手，再增加一轮只打一局从10：10开局的比赛……直到决出获得全胜的选手。
There will be two stages. Stage 1 adopts the elimination set-up instead of round-robin as used in previous versions – i) best of 7 games and; ii) match-ups based on seedings (unsure how they are seeded but probably WR). This leaves 6 players by the first round and will repeat for another cycle so that only 3 players remain.
These three players will then proceed to stage 2 (round robin) which is the real challenge IMO. Clearly, the winner will emerge when one has won two matches in a best of 7 games format. However in the event that they each has one win and one loss (and this is where things get interesting), they will play for another round – this time for only 1 game per match. If there is no clear winner again (i.e. one win and one loss each), the third round will see them start from 5 points each (1 game per match and played till 11 points at least), 8 points each in the fourth round if it comes to that (1 game per match and played till 11 points at least) and 10 points each for the fifth round if it comes to that (1 game per match and played till 11 points at least) and so on until someone finally snags two wins.
3) List of Players
Men's Singles
Ma Long; Xu Xin; Fan Zhendong, Lin Gaoyuan, Liang Jingkun, Zhao Zihao, Xue Fei, Zhou Qihao, Zhou Kai, Xu Chenhao, Ma Te, Zhang Yudong
Women's Singles
Ding Ning; Liu Shiwen; Chen Meng; Wang Manyu; Sun Yingsha; Zhu Yuling; Chen Xingtong; Wang Yidi; He Zhuojia; Gu Yuting; Liu Fei; Zhang Rui
4) Mixed Doubles
混双比赛第一阶段，6对选手采用两两对战、7局4胜单场淘汰的赛事，3对选手脱颖而出。和单打一样，混双比赛第二阶段也采用“血战到底”的赛制。第二阶段第一轮3对选手相互对战，5局3胜，
如果某对选手获得两连胜，则比赛结束，该组合获得最终的冠军。
若出现3对选手互有胜负的情况，则3对选手再增加一轮只打一局11分的比赛；再出现互有胜负，再增加一轮只打一局从5：5开局的比赛；还未出现全胜的组合，再增加一轮只打一局从8：8开局的比赛；仍未有全胜的选手，再增加一轮只打一局从10：10开局的比赛………直到决出全胜的组合。
Two stages once more. Stage 1 is essentially the same as the Singles – i) elimination and; ii) best of 7 games but only for one cycle as that will already leave 3 pairs standing. Stage 2 again emulates the Singles, which is round-robin among the 3 pairs but played to the best of 5 games. The winning pair needs to seal two matches once again. In the event of a tie, the rumble resumes and each subsequent round will get shorter (1 game per match played to 11 points at least; 1 game per match played to 11 points at least but each pair starts with 5 points; 1 game per match played to 11 points at least but each pair starts with 8 points) until a winner emerges.
Pairings: 1) Xu Xin/Liu Shiwen; 2) Ma Long/Ding Ning; 3) Fan Zhendong/Gu Yuting; 4) Lin Gaoyuan/Wang Manyu; 5) Liang Jingkun/Chen Meng; 6) Yu Ziyang/Sun Yingsha
