2024 WTT Contender Zagreb, Croatia June 3-9

[pongfugrasshopper]

WS R32
Li Yu-Jhun 1-3 Hirano

As with the match against Lee Ho Ching at WTTC 2024, Li was actually neck-and-neck in the rallies, but what set her apart was the crucial points, where Hirano won the majority, if not all of them. Wang Rui/Nakazawa Rui coaching instead of Zhang Cheng showed the significance of this match.

With DHK and LYJ out of the way, only Lily remains...

Lily has to play Szocs who is no pushover.

 

[NextLevel]

Lily beating a defender should not pass without comment lol!

 

[zeio]

Szocs isn't the problem. Like SYB (stuck at 1820 pts as projected), Diaz and Mittelham, Szocs has been playing like crap. So it depends on Lily, who managed to cause a fatigued Hayata some serious headache at WTT CS Chongqing 2024.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/wtt-singapore-smash-2024-3-7-3-17.33147/post-447269
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...-be-revamped-for-paris-2024.24977/post-455775
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/saudi-smash-2024.33519/post-457664
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...er-rio-de-janeiro-5-20-5-26.34007/post-460748
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...er-rio-de-janeiro-5-20-5-26.34007/post-461002

 

[zeio]

WS R32
Kihara 3-2 SYB (7, -8, -4, 9, 9)
G4 57, 59, 69 TO for SYB, 119 both got some nets
G5 10, 11, 12, 22, 23, 33, 34, 64, 65 sideline edge for SYB, 75, 77, 87, 89, 119

Weakest 4th seed ever at Paris 2024? I see Ishikawa in her. Tofu mentality.

Kihara turns out to be the "2nd seed" now, with a rather clear path to the SF.

SYB: T_T

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Great match between Kihara and SYB. It was really a fight to the finish that could have gone either way.

 

[NextLevel]

Great match between Kihara and SYB. It was really a fight to the finish that could have gone either way.

2-1, 9-5 though...

 

[zeio]

Like Ito, SYB is lucky to have gotten a FREE (3rd seed) WS bronze at Asian Games 2022. She has a great team working behind the scene. Other than that, she has been nothing but self-serving, as pointed by the KNT official and coaches after WTTC 2024.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

2-1, 9-5 though...

True, and there may be a bit of a mental barrier having a 1-4 record vs. Kihara prior to this. She actually did poorly after her timeout (same as Tomo). But, Kihara is a quality opponent.

 

[jfolsen]

Lily beating a defender should not pass without comment lol!

I finally watched the Lily Zhang-Ivana Malobabic match. Malobabic was way too passive, Lily got away with pushing 3-6 balls in a row with no consequences. Also high slow openings that should have been crushed. It wasn't until the final game that Malobabic started to attack more, and it was too late.

 

[NextLevel]

I finally watched the Lily Zhang-Ivana Malobabic match. Malobabic was way too passive, Lily got away with pushing 3-6 balls in a row with no consequences. Also high slow openings that should have been crushed. It wasn't until the final game that Malobabic started to attack more, and it was too late.

I watched it earlier today and agree, Lily actually won some pushing rallies which is fairly ridiculous.

 

[fore.n.back]

WS R32
Kihara 3-2 SYB (7, -8, -4, 9, 9)
G4 57, 59, 69 TO for SYB, 119 both got some nets
G5 10, 11, 12, 22, 23, 33, 34, 64, 65 sideline edge for SYB, 75, 77, 87, 89, 119

Weakest 4th seed ever at Paris 2024? I see Ishikawa in her. Tofu mentality.

She can't even hit a long forehand stroke properly but somehow decided to go with Long V, it hinders her game compared to her old Victas blade

 

[FIXPOINT]

 

[FIXPOINT]

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

People talk about Timo Boll, but CCY is insane for his age and just defended four match points against Harimoto and won the fourth game in deuce. Final game about to start. The man better get huge credit when he retires.

CCY is a like a good bottle of wine.
other than that, he is a great mentor and coach.

for some behind of the scene info.
Chuang, is on the Olympic funding program, ie, he has money to get coaches, training partners etc.
these coaches/training partners would go on tour with him.

well, guess who he brings? his students with him.
it isn't about income for the students, but rather, the opportunity to travel with him to experience WTT.
currently some of the best juniors (in the senior team), both male and female is from his academy.
some "not going to make it", becomes his coach/training partner, so this student could continue on as a coach in his academy.

What we all see is just him playing good table tennis. But every time he travels, he is continuing developing the next generation to not only play, but also contribute to the development of the next generation.

These are some of his star juniors (1:03~1:07):

 

[zeio]

A rare matchup that shows a FH-oriented player other than SYS on how to deal with BH-oriented players, especially in this point.

WS R32
Ch. Lutz 1-3 LHC (-6, -9, 5, -9)
https://youtu.be/mqfU-l9NdLQ?t=9745

WS QR3
Ch. Lutz 3-1 Pesotska (-1, 9, 9, 8)
https://youtu.be/Of_KBqD3AIA?t=8578

WS QR2
Ch. Lutz 3-0 Yokoi (9, 8, 10)
https://youtu.be/0Yno_1Q7cV0?t=11235

Not looking good for Yokoi. More evidence that points toward my projection.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/wtt-2024-feeder-events.33518/page-3#post-453335
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/wtt-2024-feeder-events.33518/post-453367

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Tomo/Hayata advanced to XD SF. WCT/DHK lose in QF to Joo/Cho 3-2. Coming into this tournament, Tomo/Hayata only have a 70 pt lead so they will extend it with today's results.

 

[zeio]

The TO came too late for Lily when trailing at 7:6 of G3. Should've called TO when still leading at 10:9 of G2.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Lily had a lot of trouble with Szocs tomahawk. She had the right idea looping it to the BH, but inexplicably the last two serves, she blocked it to FH for easy put aways for Szocs.

 

[Peter93]

Yokoi/Odo upset Harimoto/Hirano. That pairing still not working as well as intended.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Odo/Yokoi win the T-League battle of NP Mallets vs. Kinoshita Abyell 3-2, 11-8 over Miwa/Hirano. Odo is a very smart player. Serving at 8-8 to Miwa, she does either a no spin or a kick serve fooling Miwa twice. I'm surprised Miwa didn't recognize it the 2nd time. Great match from both pairs.