National Games of China 2025, 11/9-21, Guangdong/Hong Kong/Macao

[Amit Mehta]

Fan has amazing touch play and his table awareness is second to none. Timo sometime back during a TTD interview mentioned that FZD has really good serve, which is clearly visible in his match against WCQ. His consistency is ridiculous. To me, what sets him apart (and by a long shot) is his patience and willingness to stay in the rally and outperform his opponents; He does not try to rush to win points, WCQ is crazy dangerous with his extreme offence but FZD with his mind game, skill and calmness, can absorb all the attacks and respond with next level finesse. Beautiful to watch him play at this level.

 

[NextLevel]

Fan has amazing touch play and his table awareness is second to none. Timo sometime back during a TTD interview mentioned that FZD has really good serve, which is clearly visible in his match against WCQ. His consistency is ridiculous. To me, what sets him apart (and by a long shot) is his patience and willingness to stay in the rally and outperform his opponents; He does not try to rush to win points, WCQ is crazy dangerous with his extreme offence but FZD with his mind game, skill and calmness, can absorb all the attacks and respond with next level finesse. Beautiful to watch him play at this level.

I don't think it is just patience, it is unparalleled athletic strength and explosiveness and stamina in the lower body, the fact it has been sustained for so long is probably as miraculous as seeing it executed. Watching him play Hodaei of Iran in Houston was one of my favorite moments because it wasn't on the main table and we got to see it by getting to good seats early. Seeing a player let 2700-level opponent open and outplay the opponent in rally was just different.

 

[oophyte]

Wang Hao 🤝 Sun Yingsha

LA28 not looking too good for SYS if WMY performs like this at the Olympics.

WH at least won the national games MS in 2009 lol.

SYS does have a chance to tie with him for 3 Olympic silvers though. (a brutal fate that I don't wish upon anyone)

 

[PhoenixTT]

What do the numbers below mean? (The long series of white over blue numbers under LSD's feet).

Edit: oh wait I got it.

 

[NextLevel]

What do the numbers below mean? (The long series of white over blue numbers under LSD's feet).

Edit: oh wait I got it.

View attachment 39008

Lol... the sequence in which the points were scored to get to the current score. It captures streaks.

 

[baotran]

FZD is WCQ's kryptonite - he seldom lost to WCQ even before he took a break from WTT. WCQ's problem is that he relies way too much on serve/receive/3rd ball. But FZD can defend the 3rd ball due to his inhuman reflexes and then forcefully transition the play into a topspin rally where even now he has no equal (even though WCQ has definitely been training the topspin rally a lot recently).

Only Lin Shidong has the topspin rally capability to go blow to blow with FZD. But tbh LSD hasnt been in the greatest form recently so I think FZD takes this...

All other players who have beaten FZD in recent years usually rely on a lot of trickery, weird shots and weird attacks and usually in 5 game matches which doesnt allow FZD to adjust in time. With 7 game matches it just becomes so much harder.

Not really. Since middle of 2023 WCQ has been adapted well with the active fast defense block of FZD. That's why their matches are always tight since then and much more nail-bitting than yesterday match. Also because they know each other well, so WCQ can play rallies with FZD in 50-50 situation. The way WCQ looked hopeless while chasing FZD active blocks or fast return should be considered as being surprised with the new equipment from FZD.

 

[NextLevel]

Not really. Since middle of 2023 WCQ has been adapted well with the active fast defense block of FZD. That's why their matches are always tight since then and much more nail-bitting than yesterday match. Also because they know each other well, so WCQ can play rallies with FZD in 50-50 situation. The way WCQ looked hopeless while chasing FZD active blocks or fast return should be considered as being surprised with the new equipment from FZD.

Curious, how do you know he was using new equipment? Where are the visuals?

 

[baotran]

Curious, how do you know he was using new equipment? Where are the visuals?

I think Chinese stream zoom really close to FZD while he was preparing for his serves. I realized that his racket should be the FZD Super ALC, base on its color (has a much clearer white line and darker blue than the FZD ALC). I will try to cut some images. Probably the final match has more clearer moments showing that he is using FZD super ALC.

 

[baotran]

100% FZD super ALC. Looks exactly the same as my racket.

 

[SFF_lib]

What is it? The blue tint on ALC and SALC is not visible.

The golden tint of ZLC and SZLC not visible neither.

Custom made?

 

[baotran]

View attachment 39010View attachment 39011

What is it? The blue tint on ALC and SALC is not visible.

The golden tint of ZLC and SZLC not visible neither.

Custom made?

Those "very" white lines ... signature of a FZD super ALC blade lol.

 

[NextLevel]

Those "very" white lines ... signature of a FZD super ALC blade lol.

You've convinced me he is likely using a different blade. The particular blade he is using, I am not as convinced yet...

 

[SFF_lib]

This is a much better view

 

[FIXPOINT]

National Games of China 2025 WS Final

National Games of China 2025 MS Final

 

[blahness]

Not really. Since middle of 2023 WCQ has been adapted well with the active fast defense block of FZD. That's why their matches are always tight since then and much more nail-bitting than yesterday match. Also because they know each other well, so WCQ can play rallies with FZD in 50-50 situation. The way WCQ looked hopeless while chasing FZD active blocks or fast return should be considered as being surprised with the new equipment from FZD.

Well, it did not look 50-50 at all even then. WCQ basically had to rely on illegal serves and other short game tricks to take a few measly wins against FZD.

Now that serve is gone - FZD's advantage in the topspin rally is even more obvious in this match.

Even in this match, WCQ actually got the upper hand in serve/receive often and got the 1st attack, so FZD actually frequently started the rally at a disadvantage, but slowly turns the tables as the rally continues...

 

[JackJohnson]

Guangdong Men’s Team are being bold for not having Lin Gaoyuan and Zhou Qihao play in the teams event today against Macau.

 

[NextLevel]

Guangdong Men’s Team are being bold for not having Lin Gaoyuan and Zhou Qihao play in the teams event today against Macau.

I also found it interesting that Fan Zhendong did not play the team event after the semifinal where he might have had a rematch vs WCQ. Also, Ma Long has been getting some good run not just in doubles, beating Zhou Kai and Chen Yuanyu 3-1 apiece. The Teams events has a lot of good potential matches left.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

Booster-Bro openly admit using booster on public social media, whatcha gunna do bout it?

Here, we have here a participant of the China National Games openly admit to using booster. My point is, the use of booster is so blatant, the ITTF rule just does not make any sense anymore. If enforcement is lax, the rule is purely academic.

 

[JackJohnson]

I also found it interesting that Fan Zhendong did not play the team event after the semifinal where he might have had a rematch vs WCQ. Also, Ma Long has been getting some good run not just in doubles, beating Zhou Kai and Chen Yuanyu 3-1 apiece. The Teams events has a lot of good potential matches left.

I noticed that too with FZD not playing the team event for that match against Beijing. Probably due to the fact the top 2 teams make it to the next round and both teams already qualified.

Ma Long has been playing really well both doubles and singles so far.

Do you know if Ma Long competed in Singles for the 2021 event?

 

[zeio]

ML did not play MS in 2021.