Ito: I'm not sure I will play for another 4 years

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With Kihara making a SF at SC Ljubljana, she now has enough points to leapfrog Miu Hirano at least until the US Smash:

Miu Hirano 1076 pts
Miyuu Kihara 920 + 210 - 20 = 1110

Both will be in a mini race along with Nagasaki to grab the 6th ranking spot needed for Grand Smashes (NER limit of 6).
The mini race for top 6 Japan is really heating up now with both Miyus making the finals of SC Ljubljana: Finalist - 420 pts, Champion 600 pts. Both have now surpassed Hirano:

Hirano: 1076
Kihara: 920 + 420 - 20 = 1320 (Finalist) or 920 + 600 - 20 = 1500 (Champion)
Nagasaki: 895 + 420 - 70 = 1245 (Finalist) or 895 + 600 - 70 = 1425 (Champion)

Nagasaki does have 140 pts expiring on July 1 with the 70 pts in reserve. Both Miyus are signed up for Contender Zagreb (starting in a couple days). Miyu Nagasaki is signed up for Contender Buenos Aires (July 22-27). No sign of Hirano in WTT tournaments outside of the US Smash. Miu Hirano cannot have any slip ups and actually has to do well at the US Smash if she wants any chance of playing the Europe Smash. She needs to do better than her last couple of Smashes which she ended up finishing at R32.
 
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A WD wildcard given to Ito/Hayata for US Smash 2025. Poor Sato/Hashimoto can forget LA28. Time for Sato to face reality as she said.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...ll-play-for-another-4-years.35128/post-518841
When approached for comments on the new Olympic events, Ito said she still hasn't decided whether to aim for LA28, that she is still focused on her goal of getting a WTTC WS medal, but hints at wanting to play WD in the Olympics.

伊藤美誠、ロス五輪の種目変更「すごく面白そう」 卓球は混合団体と男女ダブルスが追加
https://hochi.news/articles/20250411-OHT1T51287.html?page=1
And then there are the usual cry-babies over the Olympic XT event.

【卓球】ロス五輪新種目の「混合団体」。日本は有利だが、卓球人からは怒りの声も多数出ている
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b7798b36f12e08c7a34275c4b0e4dd4719f1736a
Some of the Yahoo Japan users are so strict with Hirano and yet lenient with Hayata over their win rates against top CNT players, but clearly they have had enough of Ito.

伊藤美誠、ロス五輪の種目変更「すごく面白そう」 卓球は混合団体と男女ダブルスが追加
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/e3cb37b349cc6d85f19d24c3897e13c44dc92aa9/comments
cho********
2日前
まずはそれまでに中国のトップ5相手になんとか少しでも勝率を上げてほしいね。その前に日本代表をどのように決定するのか決まってないけど、頑張ってほしい。あと、やっぱりコーチは必要だと思うよ。
(First of all, I want them to somehow improve their win rate against the top 5 Chinese players by then. Before that, it has not been decided how to decide the Japanese representatives, but I want them to do their best. Also, I think coaches are a must after all)
29 concur, 6 ic, 15 hmm
kei
2日前
中国トップに勝率上げるってか、この4年以上まるで勝ててないからね。これはもう何か根本的な問題があるんだろうと思います。
(I mean, we can't win against China's top team for over 4 years, so I think there must be some fundamental problems.)
10 concur, 0 ic, 27 hmm

vga********
2日前
早熟の天才伊藤さんの時代は、残念ながら終わっています。彼女のピークは、混合ダブルスで金を取る1年前ですね。金は水谷さんの影響度合いが大きかったと考察します。
いずれにしても、オリンピックチャンピオンですので、これからの目標もこの目標設定でやらなければなりませんが、ピークは過ぎていますので、本人にも卓球協会も更に若手育成にもマイナス面しか生まれて来ないと、粗断定できますのでトップクラスで試合する事を辞めて頂いて、一度休み、視野を広げてから若手指導に展開して欲しいと考察します。
選手として辞め時の価値観は色々ありますが、伊藤さんにはオリンピックチャンピオンとして、潔く良く引いて欲しいと願います。
(Unfortunately, Ito's era as a precocious prodigy is over. She peaked a year before she won gold in mixed doubles. I believe Mizutani's influence was a major factor in her gold medal.
In any case, she is an Olympic champion and will have to set these goals from now on, but she is past her peak and we can roughly conclude that this will only have negative effects on her, the Table Tennis Association, and the development of younger players. Therefore, I believe she should retire from top-class competition, take a break, broaden her horizons, and then develop into coaching younger players.
There are various values when retiring as a player, but as an Olympic champion, I hope that Ito will quit gracefully
)
35 concur, 4 ic, 133 hmm

kus********
2日前
伊藤・平野選手は中国から研究しつくされているので中国を撃破するのは難しいと思います。お二人が新しいプレースタイに進化すれば対抗できるかもしれませんが、特に伊藤選手はプレースタイルが全く変わらないので中国との差は開いていると思います。若くて才能のある選手がたくさんいるのに、いつまでも平野・伊藤選手に頼っていては若くて才能がある選手が伸びず、数年後、中国との差は広がってしまうと思います。
(I think it will be difficult to beat China because Ito and Hirano have been thoroughly studied by China. If the two of them evolve into new playing styles, they may be able to compete, but Ito's playing style in particular has not changed at all, so I think the gap between them and China will widen. There are many young and talented players, but if we continue to rely on Hirano and Ito, the young and talented players will not develop, and in a few years, the gap between us and China will widen.)
14 concur, 3 ic, 64 hmm

hnz
2日前
伊藤は、前回のオリンピックの団体戦について、協会が発表する前に、3人目の推薦枠を拒否している。
理由は、シングルに出場出来ないため、補欠要員となり、シングル二人のサポートは嫌だからと。
プライドとわがままが、邪魔したのでしょう。
シングル二人は、張本、早田、大藤から選ばれるでしょう。
伊藤に聞くだけ無駄なのに。
マスコミの嫌みか。
(Before the association announced the lineup for the team event at the previous Olympics, Ito refused to be recommended for the 3rd spot.
The reason was that she would be unable to compete in the singles and would have to be a reserve, and she didn't want to support the two singles players.
Pride and selfishness probably got in the way.
The two singles players would be chosen from Harimoto, Hayata and Odo.
There's no point in asking Ito.
Is it just the media trying to be mean?
)
24 concur, 3 ic, 89 hmm

kei
2日前
ロスは張本、大藤にニュー早田もしくは新たな息吹でしょ、いつまでも伊藤や平野が出場しているようじゃ打倒中国どころかメダルも危うい
(Los Angeles will be Harimoto, Odo and the new Hayata or a breath of fresh air. If Ito and Hirano continue to compete, not only will they be unable to beat China, but they will also be in danger of not even getting a medal)
29 concur, 3 ic, 94 hmm

okx********
1日前
たまには中国にかてよ何年も勝てないのにトップ10もないとおもうが。
(Beat China for a change. She hasn't been able to beat them for years and I don't think she is even in the top 10.)
4 concur, 0 ic, 0 hmm

wat********
2日前
このまま日本女子ナンバー2を保てれば出場出来そうですね。
(If she can maintain her number 2 ranking as the Japanese female member, she will likely be able to participate.)
2 concur, 1 ic, 19 hmm
the********
1日前
>このまま日本女子ナンバー2を保てれば出場出来そうですね。

今の伊藤選手はナンバー2ではなくナンバー4ではないかと思いますが。
(I think Ito is now number 4 rather than number 2.)
13 concur, 1 ic, 2 hmm

mik********
2日前
ダブルスには出ないと言ってたんじゃなかった?
ようやく自分が一番手でチヤホヤされなくなってるのに気づいたか。
(Didn't she say she wasn't going to play doubles?
Has she finally realised that she's no longer the No. 1 player and is no longer being pampered?
)
28 concur, 0 ic, 66 hmm

wgo********
2日前
ロス五輪では、女子卓球唯一の金メダリストとして、コメンテーターのお仕事ができるかも知れません。
(As the only gold medalist in women's table tennis at the Los Angeles Olympics, she may be able to work as a commentator.)
14 concur, 2 ic, 34 hmm

yos*****
2日前
オリンピックは、あの卓球では出られないでしょう。
(I'm afraid she won't be able to play the Olympics with that level of table tennis.)
14 concur, 0 ic, 14 hmm

min********
2日前
次はシングルスで選ばれなくても出たいのかな?
(Do you want to play next time even if you're not selected in singles?)
10 concur, 1 ic, 20 hmm

【卓球】ロス五輪新種目の「混合団体」。日本は有利だが、卓球人からは怒りの声も多数出ている
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b7798b36f12e08c7a34275c4b0e4dd4719f1736a/comments
t_r********
1日前
卓球競技の普及ということを考えた時に必ずしもマイナスとは限らない。
男女それぞれの団体戦が見たいという点には完全同意だが、男子偏重の国が多いことがこの混合団体の導入で変わる可能性、女子の強化へ踏み切る可能性があるということは卓球競技にとってはプラス。
なお、日本有利という論調は意味不明。なぜなら、団体のメダルが確実であろう女子団体が消えるのだから、女子ダブルスでもメダルが期待できるとしても一発勝負の個人トーナメントよりも3点先取の団体戦の方が確実性があり、そして混合団体も確実とは言えないのだから決して有利にはなっていない。
男子もメダル圏内ではあるが、同時にメダル決定レベルの戦いになると組み合わせやその時の調子によって全敗してもおかしくはない。つまり、男子ばかり強い国と当たった時に男子全敗で敗北する可能性もあり混合団体は女子団体ほど確実なメダルとは言えない。
(It's not necessarily a negative thing when you think about the spread of table tennis.
I completely agree that we want to see team events for both men and women, but the fact that there are many countries that are biased towards men may change with the introduction of this mixed team, and there is a possibility that they may take steps to strengthen the women's team, which is a positive for table tennis.
The notion that Japan has an advantage is incomprehensible. Because the women's team, which would be sure to win a medal, will disappear, even if there is hope for a medal in women's doubles, a first-to-3-point team event is more certain than a one-shot individual event, and the mixed team is not sure either, so it is by no means an advantage.
The men's team is also in the medal zone, but at the same time, if it's a battle at the medal deciding level, it's not strange that they will lose all their matches depending on the pairing and their condition at the time. In other words, if they face a country with only strong men's teams, there is a possibility that the men will lose all their matches, and the mixed team is not as sure of a medal as the women's team.
)
30 concur, 3 ic, 11 hmm
 
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A WD wildcard given to Ito/Hayata for US Smash 2025. Poor Sato/Hashimoto can forget LA28. Time for Sato to face reality as she said.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...ll-play-for-another-4-years.35128/post-518841
They are lepers but 3 years is still a long time. They just need to play and see what happens. They should take matters into their own hands though I suspect Hashimoto playing the Japanese league is not helping matters. But they still have time if they really believe they can do it.

The other issue is whether players can qualify without overlap. If there is no requirement that 3 players play all events then there might be hope there as well.
 
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In the latest interview with Table Tennis Kingdom, Togami thinks there was a high probability that Harimoto could've broken through his quarter at WTTC 2025 and he was constantly asking himself what if he lost after beating Harimoto. He noted how Harimoto was training so hard and maybe overly hard, citing how he trained too hard ahead of WTTC 2024 and fell ill.

Also, Ito said after WTTC 2025 that she wanted to challenge WD with Hayata again.

Sharing stories during those 10 years working with Hayata, Ishida revealed that his blood pressure was over 190 at times as Paris 2024 approached.

卓球王国 2025年8月号
https://world-tt.com/blog/news/product/az340

张本世乒赛之前练得太狠了 (Harimoto trained too hard ahead of WTTC)
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/9821686701

【卓球】伊藤美誠、世界卓球でシングルス初のメダル。パリ五輪代表から外れた悔しさを力に「本当にうれしい涙」
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/047df248ce7115a29d8b26f3387db6ed8adbf2bf
【卓球】「命がけで支えた10年」早田ひな専任コーチ・石田大輔氏が語る、努力と献身の日々
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/db8af522dd5897b165e0a70feb69c03543c87499

早田希娜前教练石田大辅采访 (Hayata's former coach Ishida Daisuke's interview)
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/9819210290

【卓球】張本美和と木原美悠、世界卓球のダブルスで銅メダル。収穫と課題を語る
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/c341f09d55ec024dbd21b870ec49b84901b4ffd4
【卓球】「いける感覚しかなかった」ミックスダブルスで快進撃 大藤沙月&吉村真晴が語る銀メダルの舞台裏
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/c9dea58f9408e90fe6f878752ea38844e0515c8e
【卓球】「マジか!」戸上&篠塚が語る64年ぶり金メダルの舞台裏。本音と成長が詰まったインタビュー
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/6d184b80a4ac1fa8c5e2e5409d2a61c1e15d8708
 
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WTT CT Zagreb 2025
WS R32
Hayata (3) 2-3 Xu Yi (Q) (7, 7, -9, -9, -4)
Beside the crossover issue (she started to flat hit on some of those shots), Hayata's baby fat is coming back (likely from the reduced training volume), like how she looked back in 2018 and 2019.

WTT SCT Ljubljana 2025
WS R16
Kihara (14) 3-0 Hayata (3) (10, 7, 9)
G3 36, Hayata's crossover issue shows no sign of recovery. It seems she will have to rely on painkillers to play well from now on. Too high a price to pay.

WS QF
ZYL (9)(WC) 3-2 Odo (2)(WC) (-5, 9, 3, -11, 8)
3 wins out of 3 meetings. So weak. If not for combination players Idesawa and Hashimoto...

MS QF
Jorgic (5) 3-2 Togami (-7, 9, -15, 11, 9)
G2 37, 67 TO for Togami, 77, 78, 108, 109, 119
Deja vu of MT F at WTTC 2022 and MS QF at WTTC 2025. This is fatal as LGL told LGY at Marvelous 12 2017. Togami will turn 24 this August (reinforcing the magic number 23).
Again in G4. TOGAMIII....
 
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WTT CT Zagreb 2025
WS R32
Hayata (3) 2-3 Xu Yi (Q) (7, 7, -9, -9, -4)
Beside the crossover issue (she started to flat hit on some of those shots), Hayata's baby fat is coming back (likely from the reduced training volume), like how she looked back in 2018 and 2019.
TT aside it’s probably good for her Hayata is so naturally thin sometimes she almost looks fragile to me
 
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Just realised Itoyata is making a comeback for US Smash. Interesting ~

1750952907773.png
 
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WTT Star Contender Foz do Iguaçu 2025

There are no Chinese women announced yet...
No Hayata, Ito, Hirano... But there are Hashimoto Honoka and Sato!
 
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WTT CT Zagreb 2025
WS SF
Nagasaki 2-3 SXY (9, 6, -8, -12, -10)
G4 106, 1010, 1110, 1211, 1214
G5 410, 1010, 1012
What this match tells me is that both of them reaching the very top is a low-probability event.

As I kept pointing out about Nagasaki in the Paris 2024 cycle, it has nothing to do with skills, but perseverance (IIRC, it was against SXY the first time I wrote that). Went from 3-0 to 3-4 against Hayata in the final at the Lion Cup Top 32 2022 as well.
 
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retire Harimotos
i know the whole thing was for fun
but, I also know many players would not want to get they primary rackets so close to so much humidity
it will destroy the blade and rubbers.

but yeah, Kasumi still has it
and i'm sure Miwa throw her brothers racket into the water after such dismal performance.
 
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i know the whole thing was for fun
but, I also know many players would not want to get they primary rackets so close to so much humidity
it will destroy the blade and rubbers.

but yeah, Kasumi still has it
and i'm sure Miwa throw her brothers racket into the water after such dismal performance.
Nah, he just doesn't know how to use the Harimoto SALC. The women use it better than he does. Miwa will not throw it away, she will just work with Miyu and Satsuki and show him how to use it lol.
 
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Nah, he just doesn't know how to use the Harimoto SALC. The women use it better than he does. Miwa will not throw it away, she will just work with Miyu and Satsuki and show him how to use it lol.
haha

but seriously speaking
I doubt they will use those blades ever again
I actually do wonder what they will do with it.
who ever gets it would be wondering why the rebound will be uneven. We all know that humidity kills blades
 
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Catching up on Harimoto's Instagram post on his win of WTT CT Zagreb 2025.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLgIzY6N6gv/
harimoto__tomokazu_1711 3d
WTTコンテンダーザグレブ優勝しました🏆
自分に最高の誕生日プレゼントを贈ることができました😆

世界卓球が終わってから、難しいことは考えず、気負わず、ただ自分のしたいプレーをすることを心がけて、それがうまくいったように感じました。
苦しみながら卓球をするのではなく、楽しく卓球ができるようにこれからも頑張ります!
応援ありがとうございました!
(I won the WTT Contender Zagreb 🏆
I was able to give myself the best birthday present 😆

After the WTTC ended, I tried not to think too hard about things, not to get too worked up, and just to play the way I wanted to, and I felt like that worked out well.
I'll keep working hard so that I can play table tennis happily, not in pain!
Thank you for your support!)
 
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