Paris Olympic Games 2024

[travelt123]

If you think FZD vs LYJ in the previous Olympics was considered nerve-wracking and tense, this match is another level of nerve-wracking and tense. The best mental game from FZD I've ever seen. His gold medal win will be so well-deserved.

Harimoto pushed FZD to absolute breaking point, not even WCQ could ever do.

 

[andzejgolot]

FZD is not in great shape ( what)

 

[Metaxa]

Long time since I had seen such a banging performance from Harimoto but he has grown in his FH game in recent months and his BH has also become even more dominant. Pity about his lost match.

 

[karupinkun]

Im super proud of Tomokazu. Its was amazing how he developed his game in the last year and showed it to everybody on the biggest stage.

Of course he still has his limitations, but even if his forhand is not the best in business, its suits his game with the level it has right now

 

[jammmail]

What a game. Both gave it their all. Some unbelievable rallies. Just next level table tennis.

 

[backspacer]

That quarter-final was already on the level of a final.

 

[d3nium]

FZD did what champions do, found a way to win despite losing for most of the match.

Incredible performance from both players, shame someone had to lose.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Tomo can hold his head high. He left everything he had on the table. He'll learn from this. He got baited into some out of position FHs, but those mental mistakes will become less and less in the future. After watching this, I have to believe his time will come .... and I think it will come soon.

 

[d3nium]

On another note, has Harimoto ever had a yellow card before this? He's a very respectful man.

 

[backspacer]

On another note, has Harimoto ever had a yellow card before this? He's a very respectful man.

Don't think so, but there should be a performance review for umpires when questionable decisions happen. That card was completely unnecessary and without a single warning prior to the card.

 

[fore.n.back]

This match really shows the depth of study made by JPN and Harimoto into Fan's. Harimoto doesn' afraid of Fan's backhand anymore, he can alternate between blocks and backhand punches to mess up the pace along with varied landing points. He also upped his forehand to attack confidently time to time, but yet his forehand isn't ripe enough to allow wider strategic intentions and through this small loophole Little Fatty was able to squeeze through. By the end Fan's pattern became quite pronounced: shorter backhand exchanges, pivot to loop once to Hari's bh then switched down the line.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Not too many players are so threatening to CNT main players over and over again.
TH is really CNT enemy no 1 and will still be for many years to come.
lets see if Felix can ko FZD

 

[NextLevel]

Not too many players are so threatening to CNT main players over and over again.
TH is really CNT enemy no 1 and will still be for many years to come.
lets see if Felix can ko FZD

If Felix does, he needs to thank Harimoto for wearing out FZD. More likely he will be cursing Harimoto for prepping FZD.

 

[zeio]

3 years later, is there still doubt about Harimoto's progress?

If Felix doesn't get at least 3 games and a lead in G7, I'll proclaim Harimoto the semifinalist and potentially bronze medalist.

Harimoto:
WTTC 2021 - R64 (3-4 Dyjas)
WTTC 2023 - QF (2-4 LJK)
WC 2024 - Bronze (SF 0-4 LGY)
Paris 2024 - QF (3-4 FZD)

LYJ:
WTTC 2021 - R32 (3-4 LJH)
WTTC 2023 - R16 (1-4 LGY)
WC 2024 - R16 (2-4 JWJ)
Paris 2024 - QF (3-4 F. Lebrun)

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/tokyo-2020-2020-7-24-8-9.23698/post-349486

That was so close for both chinese men wow, I did not expect this. Ovtcharov usually has no chance against Ma Long, this is surprising. And LIN Yun-Ju is huge, a pity he lost. But he is the biggest threat for them in the next years imho. (Harimoto stagnated unfortunately with no real progress and isn't good enough)

Harimoto:
WTTC 2017 - QF
WTTC 2019 - R16
WC 2019 - Silver
WC 2020 - Bronze
Tokyo 2020 - R16
Forget the WTGF and WT titles. Who cares.

LYJ:
WTTC 2017 - R128
WTTC 2019 - R64
WC 2019 - Bronze
WC 2020 - QF
Tokyo 2020 - 4th

I don't know. Harimoto is the youngest here, turning 18 just a month ago. Lin Yun-Ju will turn 20 two weeks later. Are we really assessing "progress" based on just 1 tournament? Just because LYJ 4-0 Jorgic, 3-4 FZD and 3-4 DO? What about the fact that LYJ has not beaten Harimoto in an international match to this date?

Boll's...ahem, I mean Ovtcharov's first Olympic singles at 19 was ugly. For the record, Ko Lai Chak, who is a doubles specialist like Rosskopf, took out Gionis(R64), RSM(R32), Ovtcharov(R16), taking 1 game off of WH(QF).

Here at Tokyo 2020, Jorgic is not unlike Ko Lai Chak in his road to the QF. Forum folks are not taking him seriously. He almost pushed ML to the decider at WC 2020.

Harimoto lost 3-4, not 0-4. He would have collapsed after lagging 1-2 in games against Jorgic if he were the Harimoto against Pitchford at WTTC 2018 or TWC 2018. His mental game had already improved by a lot playing Pitchford again at TWC 2019. That's progress.

 

[NextLevel]

3 years later, is there still doubt about Harimoto's progress?

If Felix doesn't get at least 3 games and a lead in G7, I'll proclaim Harimoto the semifinalist and potentially bronze medalist.

Harimoto:
WTTC 2021 - R64 (3-4 Dyjas)
WTTC 2023 - QF (2-4 LJK)
WC 2024 - Bronze (SF 0-4 LYJ)
Paris 2024 - QF (3-4 FZD)

LYJ:
WTTC 2021 - R32 (3-4 LJH)
WTTC 2023 - R16 (1-4 LGY)
WC 2024 - R16 (2-4 JWJ)
Paris 2024 - QF (3-4 F. Lebrun)

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/tokyo-2020-2020-7-24-8-9.23698/post-349486

WC 2024 - Bronze (SF 0-4 LGY)

As for the progress, what do you mean? He was supposed to be winning WTTCs and Olympic Golds by now...

 

[zeio]

Auto-correct is such a pain...

 

[Dr Evil]

Interesting serving tactics from Fan. He went to reverse pendulum to short forehand to get back into the match, then reverted to mostly pendulum the last few games.

Great match. Harimoto took it to him relentlessly and looked like the stronger player. His forehand is vastly improved but I feel sorry for his lower back in a few years. Fan has lost a step and a good deal of flexibility (lingering injury?). It's costing him coverage out wide and power especially on the forehand side because he's rushed more frequently. He's still the favorite in this tournament as this could have been his toughest match. But he's no longer the odds on favorite.

 

[TT Lover]

Not too many players are so threatening to CNT main players over and over again.
TH is really CNT enemy no 1 and will still be for many years to come.
lets see if Felix can ko FZD

Yes sir.
Felix can ko FZD.

 

[andzejgolot]

Felix will be tough but Harimoto has recipes on FZD
Harimoto when they talk about his potential low back injury

 

[Innco Gong]

greatly moved by FZD.