Mengel nominated instead of Steger!

[Spinandspeed]

Hey,
Steffen Mengel did get nominated by coach Roßkopf after Steger was forced to withdraw from the WTTTC 2014 due to an injury!
Maybe we will see a winning Mengel again because he is known that in important situations he is a real fighter and can play like a superman!

Photo by: Schillings

Source: http://www.tischtennis.de/aktuelles/meldung/15530

 

[m4ndo]

I would have taken Ruwen Filus… he played much more consistent lately and has much better results in German League as well. Mengel only had one good tournament!

 

[SquareBall]

Its true that mengel had just a good tournament till now but i think he has the potential of becoming a great player, he needs practise

 

[mahomedy13]

Give Mengel the opportunity-i doubt he will waste it

 

[Dan]

This is an interesting decision. I would like to see China's response if Germany and China meet against each other and Mengal is playing. I wish Mengal the best of luck, 6 days and counting!

 

[SquareBall]

Well its mengel I think that its not that scary for them considering that wang hao lost not only because mengel played good but because he himself played really bad and underestimated his opponent, his coach wasn't there as well. As i see it he needs practice to become more consistent and in other games he played i notice a lot of stress so he needs to work on that also. The way he managed to overcommit on that game with wang hao though is really impressive for not only table tennis players and fans.

 

[TurboZ]

Mengel is there to haunt Wang Hao! Wonder if German meet China will LGL let them meet again. Give the chance of revenge to Wang Hao or play safe? That will be interesting. But without the one side crowd on Mengel's back this time we will see what he is made of.

 

[TTFrenzy]

Mengel deserves the chance given. He beated Timo Boll (2012 german championships singles final I think) and Wang Hao. When did Suss Steger or Baum did that? I think that he should be in the A team long ago, definetely a very smart and talented player. Steger Baum and Suss have hit their peak and they can no longer improve

 

[ttboll]

I think that if China will meet Germany, then China wont take any changes. They will put up their best line-up and I think Wang Hao will not be included. Germany is their toughest opponent and I guess will play Zhang Jike, Ma Long and Xu Xin.

 

[jedimasterplk]

Mengel is the only person on the German team who has anywhere near the power that Dima has. Power goes a long way to determine success in the modern game, and will become even more of a factor with the new balls. That is also definitely a factor in Rosskopfs thinking.

@Squareball "Well its mengel

I think that its not that scary for them considering that wang hao lost not only because mengel played good but because he himself played really bad and underestimated his opponent, his coach wasn't there as well."

Re-Wang Hao - he did not underestimate anyone/have an off day/didn't have his coach to run/cry to/etc/etc. He is a professional. He was just overpowered and thrashed. End of story.

 

[SquareBall]

Have you seen mengel playing any other game ? I saw as much i could and i think his technique is improvable in backhand mainly. And has to manage better his stress. Thats my opinion. Coach is very important and decisive factor and thats Not my opinion its general belief. Still mengel was awesome - impressive .

 

[mahomedy13]

Mengel is the only person on the German team who has anywhere near the power that Dima has. Power goes a long way to determine success in the modern game, and will become even more of a factor with the new balls. That is also definitely a factor in Rosskopfs thinking.

@Squareball "Well its mengel I think that its not that scary for them considering that wang hao lost not only because mengel played good but because he himself played really bad and underestimated his opponent, his coach wasn't there as well."

Re-Wang Hao - he did not underestimate anyone/have an off day/didn't have his coach to run/cry to/etc/etc. He is a professional. He was just overpowered and thrashed. End of story.

Wang Hao overpowered-I doubt it.He was most probably having 1 of his worst days ever.

 

[Alborz]

Have you seen mengel playing any other game ? I saw as much i could and i think his technique is improvable in backhand mainly. And has to manage better his stress. Thats my opinion. Coach is very important and decisive factor and thats Not my opinion its general belief. Still mengel was awesome - impressive .

Couch is important but not for a veteran like Wang Hao. He already knows every thing about table tennis.

 

[beeray1]

I'm sorry but if you give Wang Hao another shot at him, it's not gonna be pretty for the dude. Especially in the WTTTC. I like his attitude and play but preparation on the Chinese side would be way too strong. You RARELY beat the same chinese player more than once as someone from another country in this day and age. I think Ma Long is the only one who has fallen victim to the same foreigner more than once, both to Lee Sang Su and to Koki Niwa as well as Timo Boll.

 

[SquareBall]

Couch is important but not for a veteran like Wang Hao. He already knows every thing about table tennis.

Yes but if the veteran is used to always have his coach with to cheer him up and give him some tactics that distract him from stress, its hard to adapt. Else time-outs wouldn't exist in the game of table tennis. Still i'm not a professional.

 

[m4ndo]

Also don't forget that Wang Hao has probably never heard of Mengel before the match… with all high level players in the world, China has extensive video analysis and so on but Mengel was just a newcomer in the German Open. Hence WH really had problems with Mengel's service and return! If you just watch the semi finals against Jun Mizutani - he already knew everything just with one night analysis by his coaches so he crushed him.

 

[TTFrenzy]

Guys you are missing the big picture here. Even if Wang Hao was at his bad days, he is STILL one of the best players in the world. Just because he is retiring doesnt mean he is not playing well or that mengel was lucky. Same thing goes about his motivation. You always forget that they are 2 players playing this game. To have a winner one must make more mistakes and Wang Hao made more mistakes than Mengel thats a fact. Those mistakes off course do not mean that he wasnt a difficult opponent for mengel.

Mengel played his 120 % Wang Hao played 60 % but still that 60 % was difficult for mengel to overcome and it would be difficult for any other european player. Dont forget that Mengel is not even in the top 100 and that makes it a huge achievement. Im re

Ma Long Wang Hao Zhang Jike even at their bad days can win a world championship if there is only one of them in the competition against all the top formed european/asian players. Its a fact that even at his bad day a top chinese player is slightly better than a top european one.

 

[ZhangJikeTheBest]

I think wang hao just did not care if he wins er looses

Zhang Jike <3

 

[SquareBall]

I think wang hao just did not care if he wins er looses

Zhang Jike <3

This could also be a factor to some small extent not a decisive one in my opinion.

 

[mahomedy13]

I think wang hao just did not care if he wins er looses

Zhang Jike <3

We have to remember that Wang Hao wasnt playing for himself-he was playing in place of Fan Zhendong,so whether he won or lost,it didnt affect him.He did not need to defend any title or something like that.