World Cup 2024

[NextLevel]

This format is just a joke now.

Jang vs Gauzy switching between training and exhibition

You will be surprised, audiences love watching both training and exhibition as long as it is done in the spirit of entertainment. It is much more fun to watch than complaining.

 

[NextLevel]

you mean the one where Granny Ni was forced to play a meaningless match, because she was unwell, so she threw points away, so she can go back to the hotel to rest?

Professional needs to be treated by professionals too, amateurs making rules, we can't blame professionals when they act like amateurs

No, Grandma's situation was understandable, I think even her age should afford her some privileges other players don't get. But a-playing sick and b-saying that because the match is meaningless, you don't have any obligation to make people want to pay to see you are very different in my book.

 

[Choosikick]

That's a good point, the solution would be for them to have something to still play for. Take the NBA example, when a team's out of playoff contention, players still want to put up stats to earn a bigger contract even if the management would like to tank for a better lottery pick.

Perhaps the solution would be to have 12 groups with 16 spots up for grabs. This way you get 4 "lucky losers" who can still move on. This is also a situation where an ELO type of ratings system could benefit. Apply that to all matches and every game can affect one's world ranking.

These proposals of yours, which are excellent in my opinion, are not currently in this system, so the players are now behaving this way and not differently. Their behavior is absolutely natural and understandable. One thing I don’t understand is why experiments were carried out at a competition of this level? It seems that there are people in the ITTF management whose task is to discredit this organization.

 

[Spinsanity]

Team events are different. I think 16 players for an event is too few. 48 feel about right.

I am of the same opinion. I loved the old ITTF events. I also love the new WTT events (though there was an adaptation phase where I was frustrated with the new WTT system).
The World Cup is a premier event from the pre-WTT era and one of the 3 events that constituted the Grand Slam. To me, this major traditional ITTF event is more special than most other WTT events barring their top Smash events. It is always more exciting for more people than merely 16 to get a chance to shine at this premier event especially these days when many unexpected players are beating even the top Chinese (the point is that these days the inclusion of players outside of the top 16 is not a useless idea as the total domination of the top players has lessened to an extent and there are being several brilliant performances leading to exciting upsets by relatively lower ranked players recently). For a closed tournament for the very top 16, the yearly Grand Finals are there. I think that the return of the ITTF World Cup and its opening up to more players are some of the best ideas and developments in world table tennis in recent times.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Sports is ultimately entertainment and to grow the sport, even when the points are meaningless, it is okay if the players are entertaining. This is what people need to accept if commercialization of the sport is important. All they had to do was plat respectably for one or two meaningless games. Is that really too much to ask?

You need to add history and further context to the lifes of these so called players.

Just a week or so ago, none of these players was paid by ITTF (owner of WTT) for almost 4 months.

You can’t blame players if they don’t have the entertainment view point as ITTF, since it doesn’t seem like an employee centric organization. New format / rules within weeks is not professional too.

If you get paid bad or late at the work place, or if you feel that your boss is treating you like guinea pigs (to test out new things at world cups), don’t expect staff moral to be high.

Maybe they should allow more voice by the players and get the players to buy in, for a change.
Not all players are from authoritarian backgrounds

I agree things looks terrible and fans should be pointing fingers at the organization for the mess, and not question the players.
It is a circus at the moment, the players got influenced negatively

 

[NextLevel]

You need to add history and further context to the lifes of these so called players.

Just a week or so ago, none of these players was paid by ITTF (owner of WTT) for almost 4 months.

You can’t blame players if they don’t have the entertainment view point as ITTF, since it doesn’t seem like an employee centric organization. New format / rules within weeks is not professional too.

If you get paid bad or late at the work place, or if you feel that your boss is treating you like guinea pigs (to test out new things at world cups), don’t expect staff moral to be high.

Maybe they should allow more voice by the players and get the players to buy in, for a change.
Not all players are from authoritarian backgrounds

I agree things looks terrible and fans should be pointing fingers at the organization for the mess, and not question the players.
It is a circus at the moment, the players got influenced negatively

I get that to some extent. But one of the things you learn is that perception is reality. It is hard-core fans like us that know all these details. Most people just want to watch something else entertaining. Players should just do that.

 

[driversbeat]

Are there 3rd-4th playoffs for this tournament or have they scrapped that too?

 

[jfolsen]

Are there 3rd-4th playoffs for this tournament or have they scrapped that too?

I think they are going to have an astrologer create a horoscope for each player and the one that is closest to Jupiter will get third. But don't quote me on that. 😁

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

Miwa HARIMOTO is doing great so far against WANG Yidi . 3-1 lead and she's so far the much better player. less mistakes, more precise, quicker

 

[shmek]

Are you seeing what I'm seeing? With the little Miwa matching WY's pace and with a bonus?!

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

OMG Miwa had matchpoint but wanted to score too quickly. Then she misses the next serve...
but she scores a big FH winner next..

can she close the match ?

YES !!! she did it !!!

WYD saved 2 match points by clipping the edge of the table, but Miwa didn't flinch ! what a champ !

first win against a top CNT player. now she must go after the top 3 (SYS, WMY, CM)

 

[driversbeat]

Miwa joins the 'I've beaten WYD this cycle' club along with Hayata, Kihara, and Hirano.

Rewarded with quite an open path to semifinals.

 

[shmek]

OMG Miwa had matchpoint but wanted to score too quickly. Then she misses the next serve...
but she scores a big FH winner next..

can she close the match ?

OMG, OMG, indeed. I haven't been so 'stressed' watching a game in a long time

 

[shmek]

Miwa joins the 'I've beaten WYD this cycle' club along with Hayata, Kihara, and Hirano.

Oh, don't underplay it. It is still a great feat! Also, the way she did it, it was really something.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

You could sense it throughout the match that Miwa was going to win. WYD was struggling to keep up. Congratulations Miwa!

 

[driversbeat]

Oh, don't underplay it. It is still a great feat! Also, the way she did it, it was really something.

I'm not underplaying it. It's an achievement, but also the baseline to make the Olympic team that Ito has not met. Kihara is definitely the more suitable for the P card.

 

[shmek]

I'm not underplaying it. It's an achievement, but also the baseline to make the Olympic team that Ito has not met. Kihara is definitely the more suitable for the P card.

I'm half-joking also. But, yeah, it's not Sun's level yet. Nor Wang Manyu's for that matter. However, I'm really starting to believe Miwa will get there one day.

 

[shmek]

Meanwhile, the other teenager is doing his homework

 

[shmek]

Just to make sure, there are no WR points for this since it is an ITTF event, right? Sorry, for spamming so much, but I'm so excited

 

[NextLevel]

Just to make sure, there are no WR points for this since it is an ITTF event, right? Sorry, for spamming so much, but I'm so excited

There are. Zeio posted the chart.