As mentioned elsewhere, CNT has the tradition of holding 'warm-up' matches before each major competition. In preparation for WTTC later this month, a total of 18 matches will be held to assess the form of the registered players. Seems like the opponents selected are meant to mimic either i) specific styles; ii) particular foreign players who threaten the entire team or; iii) those from within the national team itself who have proven to be strong against the players participating in the upcoming WTTC. In view of the recently concluded Qatar Open, some changes have been made to the initial roster.
4th April 2019 (Thursday)
1900h
– Table 1: Wang Manyu vs Wu Yang -> playing defenders hasn't always been easy for WMY
– Table 2: Wang Chuqin/Zhou Qihao vs Zhang Yudong/Sun Wen -> I imagine Zhou Qihao is supposed to mimic Ma Long so that WCQ can still gain some doubles practice
1945h
– Table 1: Liang Jingkun vs Zhao Zihao
– Table 2: Sun Yingsha vs Gu Yuting -> left-handed females like Ishikawa Kasumi
2030h
– Table 1: Xu Xin/Liu Shiwen vs Zhou Yu/Yan An
– Table 2: Ding Ning vs Sun Mingyang -> Ito obviously
5th April 2019 (Friday)
1000h
– Table 1: Lin Gaoyuan vs Yu Ziyang
– Table 2: Liang Jingkun vs Zhou Yu
1045h
– Table 1: Ding Ning vs Li Jiayi (previously Wang Yidi who had beaten DN during Marvellous 12)
– Table 2: Wang Manyu/Sun Yingsha vs Liu Gaoyang/Sun Mingyang -> Ito & Hayata
1130h
– Table 1: Xu Xin/Liu Shiwen vs Zhang Rui/Yu Ziyang -> Ito & Morizono
– Table 2: Wang Chuqin/Zhou Qihao vs Liu Dingshuo/Zhou Yu -> practice against the many left/right male doubles pairs like Wong/Ho, Morizono/Oshima, Liao/Lin, Falck/Karlsson
1400h
– Table 1: Sun Yingsha vs Liu Fei -> likewise SYS doesn't do that well against defenders
– Table 2: Lin Gaoyuan/Liang Jingkun vs Cheng Jingqi/Fang Bo
1445h
– Table 1: Xu Xin vs Yu Ziyang -> YZY beat XX during Marvellous 12
– Table 2: Wang Manyu vs Zhang Rui -> Ito
1530h
– Table 1: Liu Shiwen vs Sun Mingyang -> Ito
– Table 2: Lin Gaoyuan vs Xu Chenhao -> LGY lost to XCH during Marvellous 12
*The above games will not be streamed on CCTV5 as far as I know, only Zhibo so perhaps some good samaritan with China VPN can share the videos with the rest
**Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng and Zhu Yuling will not participate because they will be playing at the Asian Cup in Japan.
4th April 2019 (Thursday)
1900h
– Table 1: Wang Manyu vs Wu Yang -> playing defenders hasn't always been easy for WMY
– Table 2: Wang Chuqin/Zhou Qihao vs Zhang Yudong/Sun Wen -> I imagine Zhou Qihao is supposed to mimic Ma Long so that WCQ can still gain some doubles practice
1945h
– Table 1: Liang Jingkun vs Zhao Zihao
– Table 2: Sun Yingsha vs Gu Yuting -> left-handed females like Ishikawa Kasumi
2030h
– Table 1: Xu Xin/Liu Shiwen vs Zhou Yu/Yan An
– Table 2: Ding Ning vs Sun Mingyang -> Ito obviously
5th April 2019 (Friday)
1000h
– Table 1: Lin Gaoyuan vs Yu Ziyang
– Table 2: Liang Jingkun vs Zhou Yu
1045h
– Table 1: Ding Ning vs Li Jiayi (previously Wang Yidi who had beaten DN during Marvellous 12)
– Table 2: Wang Manyu/Sun Yingsha vs Liu Gaoyang/Sun Mingyang -> Ito & Hayata
1130h
– Table 1: Xu Xin/Liu Shiwen vs Zhang Rui/Yu Ziyang -> Ito & Morizono
– Table 2: Wang Chuqin/Zhou Qihao vs Liu Dingshuo/Zhou Yu -> practice against the many left/right male doubles pairs like Wong/Ho, Morizono/Oshima, Liao/Lin, Falck/Karlsson
1400h
– Table 1: Sun Yingsha vs Liu Fei -> likewise SYS doesn't do that well against defenders
– Table 2: Lin Gaoyuan/Liang Jingkun vs Cheng Jingqi/Fang Bo
1445h
– Table 1: Xu Xin vs Yu Ziyang -> YZY beat XX during Marvellous 12
– Table 2: Wang Manyu vs Zhang Rui -> Ito
1530h
– Table 1: Liu Shiwen vs Sun Mingyang -> Ito
– Table 2: Lin Gaoyuan vs Xu Chenhao -> LGY lost to XCH during Marvellous 12
*The above games will not be streamed on CCTV5 as far as I know, only Zhibo so perhaps some good samaritan with China VPN can share the videos with the rest
**Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng and Zhu Yuling will not participate because they will be playing at the Asian Cup in Japan.
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