Currently, Wang Chuqin holds the top spot in the ITTF rankings with a considerable lead. However, his lackluster performance recently has sparked debates about whether he truly deserves it.
Wang had a phenomenal start to the year, dominating Fan Zhendong 4-0 to claim the Grand Finals. Following that, victories at both the Singapore and Saudi Smash make him as a seemingly invincible force. Many fans began comparing him to a table tennis machine, and some even hailed him as potentially the greatest of all time.
But he seems broken all together with his paddle at the Olympics.
In contrast, Fan Zhendong struggled at the start of the year. He faced multiple defeats, not only twice to Wang but also to players like Hugo Calderano, Lin Gaoyuan, and, notably, Patrick Franziska at the Saudi Smash. However, Fan rebounded on an undefeated streak that included a victory over Wang in Chongqing and ended up with the long-waited Olympics' gold medal.
Lin Shidong, often viewed as a youngster with immense potential but not the world best yet. Although he defeated Fan at the Singapore Smash, he subsequently lost to him twice. Lin’s recent rise in the rankings is largely attributed to recent titles, including a standout performance at the China Smash.
While the ITTF ranking system has its merits, many criticize its methodology, and I won’t rehash those issues here. Instead, let’s consider an alternative perspective from this website, using the Elo ranking system, which is more accurate in reflecting a player’s true form:
At Laddera, Lin currently occupies the No. 1 spot, followed by Fan. In my opinion, the primary reason Lin is at the top spot is Fan’s absence from competition since the Olympics. And if the two were to face off today, my money would still be on Fan even though the Laddera site gives Fan only 43% chance of winning vs Lin's 57% in a H2H.
Wang ranks fourth, even trailing Felix Lebrun, but this will probably change after Fukuoka.
So, what do you think? Who truly deserves to end 2024 as the world's No. 1? If not Wang, does he deserve it if he wins the Finals this weekend? Which ranking systems do you prefer?
Wang had a phenomenal start to the year, dominating Fan Zhendong 4-0 to claim the Grand Finals. Following that, victories at both the Singapore and Saudi Smash make him as a seemingly invincible force. Many fans began comparing him to a table tennis machine, and some even hailed him as potentially the greatest of all time.
But he seems broken all together with his paddle at the Olympics.
In contrast, Fan Zhendong struggled at the start of the year. He faced multiple defeats, not only twice to Wang but also to players like Hugo Calderano, Lin Gaoyuan, and, notably, Patrick Franziska at the Saudi Smash. However, Fan rebounded on an undefeated streak that included a victory over Wang in Chongqing and ended up with the long-waited Olympics' gold medal.
Lin Shidong, often viewed as a youngster with immense potential but not the world best yet. Although he defeated Fan at the Singapore Smash, he subsequently lost to him twice. Lin’s recent rise in the rankings is largely attributed to recent titles, including a standout performance at the China Smash.
While the ITTF ranking system has its merits, many criticize its methodology, and I won’t rehash those issues here. Instead, let’s consider an alternative perspective from this website, using the Elo ranking system, which is more accurate in reflecting a player’s true form:
At Laddera, Lin currently occupies the No. 1 spot, followed by Fan. In my opinion, the primary reason Lin is at the top spot is Fan’s absence from competition since the Olympics. And if the two were to face off today, my money would still be on Fan even though the Laddera site gives Fan only 43% chance of winning vs Lin's 57% in a H2H.
Wang ranks fourth, even trailing Felix Lebrun, but this will probably change after Fukuoka.
So, what do you think? Who truly deserves to end 2024 as the world's No. 1? If not Wang, does he deserve it if he wins the Finals this weekend? Which ranking systems do you prefer?
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