Does Lin Yun Ju still have potential to be world no.1?

[parth1023]

Lin Yun-Ju is very unpredictable.He is my inspiration but his form is kind of declining

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

No!

Pussy BH can't get you WR#1.

 

[Dominikk85]

Not sure. He is a great player but I feel that he doesn't get through with his strengths of serving and playing super aggressive flicks on receive as much as he used to.

He obviously is not bad a rallying either but I feel that he doesn't have quite the firepower in the mid distance counter loop rallies as some other guys have.

 

[ZFT]

His younger peers Felix and LSD can match him in the fast initial exchanges.

LSD has the top end quality to force him to become more passive in his counter game and then overpower in the open rally.

It’s an uphill battle just with those two, who knows what other talents may appear which will make it damn near impossible for him to reach that #1 spot.

I feel he will be forever remembered as an Asian icon who brought a “special something” but just couldn’t overcome the combined might of CNT - much like KTS and his footwork, Mizutani away from the table, Koki’s chopblock, Oh Sang Eun close to the table, Kenta’s tomahawk.

 

[Brs]

No. There are stronger players who are also younger.

I suppose the better men could all get injured at the same time.

Or they might change the system again. After all, if Dima could be WR1 for a month ...

 

[ycjason]

Actually, this is interesting discussion, I wonder who do people think can become potential #1 in the next few years?

WCQ - current #1, and could remain #1 for a long time
LSD - obvious choice, and very likely he become #1 at some point with his current performance
FZD - if he becomes active again, maybe
Felix/TH - possible, they are capable of beating all the top players
Calderano/LYU - unlikely, but not impossible if they get on a run

 

[blahness]

Too much reliance on BH chiquita. The problem with BH chiquita is that there are players who are happy to let him open first and then crush him in the ensuing topspin rally since they are faster than him (mainly Harimoto, Lin Shidong, Felix Lebrun). He needs to develop a bit more well rounded game with nasty short and long pushes to really throw off these youngsters.

 

[WingTT]

Maybe he needs more potent medicines to help his muscles recover from the stresses and injuries you get from playing and training at a pro level to catch up to the developed physiques of the other players. 😉

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Not sure if you guys saw this, but great control

 

[quanghuysk]

my favorite player for sure, but it's hard for him to be no 1, top 3 sounds more realistic

 

[zeio]

As long as his car collection keeps growing, and if the rumor turns out to be true, his odds will only get worse and worse. He showed signs of getting back on track after working with Wei Qingguang, but his behavior in the MT F at ATTC 2024 was very atypical of a player who is aiming for the very top. Injury can't explain it. Put bluntly, he's lost his way again. Coincidentally, he is now ALSO 23, the magic number.

Unlike Harimoto (also 1, 2, 3), LYJ has hardly spoken about disrupting the transfer of power within the CNT. They are the elephant in the room. You can't be WR1 without getting past them.

 

[Metaxa]

I didn't want to start a new topic, so why doesn't Lin Yun-ju win more top events?
He is one of my top favourites in today's table tennis circus. Talented, great FH & BH, brilliant timing and, above all, a left-hander! How is it that Lin always just fails to make it through to the semi-finals or finals?

 

[longle]

I didn't want to start a new topic, so why doesn't Lin Yun-ju win more top events?
He is one of my top favourites in today's table tennis circus. Talented, great FH & BH, brilliant timing and, above all, a left-hander! How is it that Lin always just fails to make it through to the semi-finals or finals?

I think he lacks witty and unpredictability, he mostly plays with 1 tempo

 

[Metaxa]

I think he lacks witty and unpredictability, he mostly plays with 1 tempo

(Un)predictable is perhaps the most accurate description. He is certainly not as crazy as Anders, Truls or the French boys. You could also write something about consistency in his strokes. I think he is one of the most consistent players on the circuit, but I sometimes find that he lacks precision. Just (and I'm talking about a centimetre or so) to the left or right of the table, just too long, just too short.
I had hoped that he could repeat his 2023 stunt in Frankfurt, but I hope it will happen elsewhere.

 

[sebi]

I think he is changig his forehand and that is why his game looks unstable it might take some time to adjust to the new technique and maybe incorporate it into his playingstyle.

 

[Dr Evil]

...players who are happy to let him open first and then crush him in the ensuing topspin rally since they are faster than him...

Slow feet, relatively speaking. He's not fast enough for number 1. He's so talented, though, there's still upside. Seems like he has the feel and the timing for more Samsonov-like pace control, angle discipline, and rhythm tricks.

 

[NextLevel]

Lack of lower and (to a lesser degree) upper body strength and therefore lack of innate power which he compensates for with fast equipment. That said, the biggest barrier to anyone being #1 is the modern Chinese National Team, LYJ has already been #5, I wouldn't be surprised if at the time, the top 4 were all Chinese or something like that.