China Smash 2026, Beijing, 10/1-11

[J-fed]

View attachment 43753

Is there any truth to this?

Let's look back in ten years. Were all those tournament wins due to devious quasi-cheating? Hell no.
Seems to me all sports are the same. the fan base is gonna throw shade on the top guys and 'reasons' are always there to make it possible.
They both played great. Sora won.

 

[kindof99]

Regarding Harimoto, he just beat WCQ at the Asian Games putting Japan in position to take the Men's Team title. Sora completed the team victory with a win over WRB. He's fully capable of beating anyone on a given day.

Harimoto has had too much drama and emotions partly due to his parents were from China. Sora seems to have focused exclusively more on the games.

 

[M51]

Depends. Do you trust the call of the umpire?

Depends. Having been the umpire myself for years, I'd say, not really.

 

[zeio]

IS it really necessary to have a trophy that huge?

Table Tennis: No!
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/2019-ittf-world-tour-grand-finals.22442/post-299862

Tennis: Yes!

 

[NextLevel]

1/3 each for the umpire, the person with a camera and a tournament organizer then. Happy now?

Not really, the umpire was doing her job. She cannot tell why the player delayed the point. Sora did the right thing but he isn't allowed to make the calls.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Congratulations to all the Champions. Sora smiles for no one! ... Alright, well maybe Hina.

 

[NextLevel]

I'll have whatever this guy is smoking

Not to be rude but, neither of these 3 are even close to the level of dominance to be compared that way.

Truls especially has been inconsistent over the last 12 months and his smash win was also when WCQ in peak form was not in attendance.

Ah, someone was here to fix the internet while I was busy. Gracias!

 

[NextLevel]

Best-case scenario for CNT, with Harimoto and LYJ as the biggest threats getting blocked by F. Lebrun at EUR GS 2026 and Alamiyan at Asian Games 2026 for the former, and Matsushima at CHN GS 2026 for the latter, yet both F. Lebrun and Matsushima can't get through WCQ and LSD, respectively.

I would caveat the LSD win over Matsushima by reminding you of the absence of TTR and the blatantly illegal and hidden hook serve.

 

[NextLevel]

Sora confirmed he's the new boss

The boss when the top CNT are not around and when TTR is around lol.

 

[NextLevel]

There is not much seperating Truls, Wcq, Sora, Hari, Felix, Hugo, LYJ. Anyone could beat anyone

Sorry, WCQ still owns the first among equals with his only significant matchup problem being Sora when his body is right (I consider the Asian games to be partly about Harimoto playing with the Nittaku ball in Japan and just the insane workload WCQ carried). Those guys are definitely the cream of the crop though, and I would argue that LSD is somewhere in there as well.

 

[NextLevel]

this will quickly change

Nah, you have to remember that the experts and Tieba have already spoken about who is the biggest CNT enemy (even though the CNT have Sora as the biggest picture on their wall). Reality bows to experts and Tieba, not experts and Tieba to reality.

 

[NextLevel]

Hmmm. I'm not in agreement here. Depends on the gravity of the occasion. Also I don't see Hugo winning a big one and Harimoto is a bit lacking. Love 'em all but it's Sora, WCQ and Truls as the Federer/Novak/Nadal of TT.
Felix will be the Andy Murray or Stan Wawrinka. Absolutely superb but only on his week.

Hugo's World Cup Win and WTTC silver (especially in the fashion he won them) are IMHO bigger than anything that these smashes represent from a historical perspective and his form as it evolves this year is showing he is capable of that level again. There is a lot of TT yet to be played before we start thinking in terms of Federer, Novak and Nadal - those guys were somewhat equal and dominant for decades, it isn't even clear who is where and what given how new and young Felix and Sora are. You may not realize that Truls is 24 while Felix/Sora are 19-20 and are barely beginning - you can think of WCQ (likely overaged), Truls, LYJ and Harimoto as somewhat contemporaries and Felix/Sora/LSD as another set of contemporaries. Sora hasn't even played in an Olympics before and that is his only lifetime goal. Since you are admittedly new to watching and following the top level, you may better appreciate the limitations of these analysis later.

I mean, none of these guys have even touched ML/FZD peak dominance yet. WCQ is maybe the closest and of course the eras are different but still.

 

[NextLevel]

Sometimes I wonder - why doesn't Truls use short pips on BH? Seems like they would fit his backhand very well. Obviously he's one of the best pros in the world and knows what's best for him. I'm just curious about the logic here.

You can't play off the table with short pips. And Truls needs to play off the table. At the top level with the new ball, Short pips are limited, Truls creates his own magic, not the equipment.

 

[kindof99]

Hope that wcq and lsd will play in the coming wtt championship events.

 

[pingpongnerd]

Sorry, WCQ still owns the first among equals with his only significant matchup problem being Sora when his body is right (I consider the Asian games to be partly about Harimoto playing with the Nittaku ball in Japan and just the insane workload WCQ carried). Those guys are definitely the cream of the crop though, and I would argue that LSD is somewhere in there as well.

Lsd is not a top 10 player with TTR.
He would never have won Asian Games Singles title if there were hawk eyes.
I would put Qiu Dang, Alexis, Jang Woojin above him

 

[J-fed]

Hugo's World Cup Win and WTTC silver (especially in the fashion he won them) are IMHO bigger than anything that these slams represent from a historical perspective and his form as it evolves this year is showing he is capable of that level again. There is a lot of TT yet to be played before we start thinking in terms of Federer, Novak and Nadal - those guys were somewhat equal and dominant for decades, it isn't even clear who is where and what given how new and young Felix and Sora are. You may not realize that Truls is 24 while Felix/Sora are 19-20 and are barely beginning. Sora hasn't even played in an Olympics before and that is his only lifetime goal. Since you are admittedly new to watching and following the top level, you may better appreciate the limitations of these analysis later.

I mean, none of these guys have even touched ML/FZD peak dominance yet. WCQ is maybe the closest and of course the eras are different but still.

Yep. I appreciate the check. As stated up there in my rethink when challenged, TT right now is probably more Sampras/Agassi era and that is the best tennis era of all time so it's no bad thing.