Yep, it will, just too bad they didnt switch the first two matches.
Because that way the less interresting match would go past first, and I could see the second one without any lack of sleep, considering its going to be 5:40 AM of my time for WCT-HT match..
But anyways - I am not even mad at Ma Long vs. FZD meeting so early, when that means we are going to have Timo Boll vs. XU XIN yeah!
Two magicians, what a match that will be!
Too bad I am not sure I will even be able to see it, because "wise" ittf is making regional restrictions in my country and I dont know where in TV could I watch those..
I'm surprised this is the consensus for a lot of people (assuming so, since a lot of folks liked this post), because as an avid table tennis viewer,/fan I'd prefer to watch a match of higher and similar level skilled players, regardless of national association.
Personally, I was looking more forward to LJK and LGY because their level of play is similar to each other and the match should therefore be more exciting. I really don't like the rhetoric coming from the ITTF that just because both players are from the same national association there is less excitement in the match... I met a 2400ish player from Germany one time and he says he doesn't even watch the Bundesliga, he only watches the Chinese Superleague because the matches are just at such a higher level and he enjoyed watching it more.
It's kind of like the NBA or say another country's basketball league. I'd much prefer to watch the NBA over any other league.
But I digress... it's hard to compare with basketball cause, let's say, in the Olympics there is only one team U.S.A. whereas there can be multiple singles players from the same national association. But I still think of all these players should be treated like individual human beings and individual players with individual styles/strengths/weaknesses despite being from the same national association. A Ma Long vs Fan Zhendong World Championship finals to me would be even more exciting than a Ma Long vs Falck just on the basis of the match most likely being lopsided in the latter.
I also get the mentality for rooting for the under-dog and that China always wins and that it's a breath of fresh air when they do not, but... at the same time... I really don't like the quota system in the big events like the Olympics only allowing for two singles players, but this is starting to get too long-winded and not being about the China open so I'll just hit submit and leave it at that...