Paris Olympic Games 2024

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Yeah that Kanak result was a relative surprise at the time. Kanak is a year older and is a technically solid player so he does have those surprises when the "better" player is off.

For Hugo though, I don't think it was just the extra day, I think Felix and coach worked out how they wanted to play Hugo using Truls yesterday and Felix wins and the last two losses and Hugo didn't come with any solutions. If you notice Felix didn't get into short short, it was very short to forehand /long push to backhand and flick to open rally to challenge Hugo before he goes back from the table or to force slower opening to get wide angles, similar to Truls but more efficient. Felix backhand sidespin makes backhand ealy with him hard. And Hugo's serve game is so predictable he couldn't make Felix back off. Maybe if Hugo had won Game 2 he could have done better but he wasn't even tactically there. Which is very sad given how well he played other players in the event. Hopefully he can break his Olympic curse, the bronze medalist beats him again. But to me, he needs to add more tactics to his game especially on service.

I do believe having so many games points against Truls, and not selling it, or walking away with a 4-0 win did a lot of damage to his confident

Hugo could not ask for an easier draw to the final....
he got a lucky top light draw and need wcq-less and of which he still folded in that SF.
it will always be a tough one to swallow

and yes, Hugo didn't adapt

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

View attachment 31331

lol
probably some chinese propaganda

this is what WCQ's fan boys are tracking
the internet is fulled with this guys picture.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Suddenly realize that I predicted most of the result correctly!!!
Truls is so good and unpredictable!!

are you the reporter? hehe

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

yeah but wang was outplayed and did not stand a chance to win. Harimoto just trow away his biggest game in is all life so far.

how did Harimoto throw it away?
he nearly match that of his brilliant performance when he beat WCQ and FZD in the same session.
We can stand here and talk about how bad Harimoto is (and I am sure not a fan of his)
but credits given to him, who else can match Harimoto's performance against China's top 3 in the past few years?

No one else was even close to threatening FZD.
It was just not Harimoto's day to win. If FZD has folded by just 5%, then meaning luck and chance would of gone Harimoto's way.

Harimoto's game there was probably as good as any other player to ever played FZD in such a high profile match (including thats of Ma Long)

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I suggest you read what you responded to again... "Truls is the third" implies he is only the third european player to win silver at the olympics, it doesn't mean he has three silver medals of his own! 😜

well, now he just needs a silver in WC and he would be a called sliver grand slam.
a feat that many dream of in this chinese dominated table tennis era

 

[driversbeat]

well, now he just needs a silver in WC and he would be a called sliver grand slam.
a feat that many dream of in this chinese dominated table tennis era

Hayata is also just one bronze WC away from a bronze grand slam. Completely doable but not sure how consistently and in what format WTT/ITTF will host the World Cup especially after the 4-game group stage controversies.

I don't think any other female player is closer to a bronze grand smash btw. Off the top of my head:

• Ito Mima: Olympic and WC bronze. Probably the closest contender, although breaking through China's great wall is tough as demonstrated by Hayata vs Wang Yidi. WC bronze back then may have had more value given you had to compete for 3rd and she utterly demolished Han Ying
• Feng Tianwei: Surprisingly equal accolades with Ito, OG + WC bronze. Only one win away from a WTTC medal from 2009 to 2017, but I also don't recall any of those quarterfinals being close, always 0-4 or 1-4.
• Hirano: WTTC bronze and WC gold (might have been bronze if China participated)
• Kim Kyungah: OG bronze only
• Kim Song I: OG bronze only
• Ishikawa: Many WC bronze and even a WC silver but no OG and WTTC
• Miwa: WC bronze already in hand. No 3rd place match but she upset seedings by beating WYD to get it. Can she build on that performance? Fukuhara won WC bronze after slaughtering many top seeds in 2005 but literally never had a better singles performance after that.

 

[fore.n.back]

biggest choker of the event Harimoto Tomokazu.

lmao Harimoto played his butt off and you still said he choked, Fan was just the better one in that match

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Hayata is also just one bronze WC away from a bronze grand slam. Completely doable but not sure how consistently and in what format WTT/ITTF will host the World Cup especially after the 4-game group stage controversies.

I don't think any other female player is closer to a bronze grand smash btw. Off the top of my head:

• Ito Mima: Probably the closest contender, Olympic and WC bronze. Also probably harder to win a WC bronze back then given you had to compete for 3rd and she utterly demolished Han Ying
• Hirano: WTTC bronze and WC gold (might have been bronze if China participated)
• Feng Tianwei: OG + WC bronze but no WTTC
• Kim Kyungah: OG bronze only
• Kim Song I: OG bronze only
• Ishikawa: Many WC bronze and even a WC silver but no OG and WTTC
• Miwa: WC bronze already in hand. No 3rd place match but she upset seedings by beating WYD to get it. Can she build on that performance? Fukuhara won WC bronze after slaughtering many top seeds in 2005 but literally never had a better singles performance after that.

you are right!!

It just shows how dominate Japan is and is really closed to knocking out China.
France has come up with real future hopes in knocking on China (men's side only).

Sweden, Germany, Korea, Taiwan, has always been lone warriors.
Women's part, Korea is up there, but not in recent years.
FTW (and LJW) are just rare Chinese imports who failed domestically in China to climb the ranks, but on world stage are good enough as CNT main players... you don't see that often.

I still think the CNT women's side is stronger in depth. However weaker than previous dominating eras.
Men's side, if FZD isn't fit for 2028, then it surely is WCQ + someone else.
With some talks of 2028 China probably dropping its first gold medal lost since 2004 (this was out a year or so ago already).... the pressure is on for CNT to continue.
2023 ~ 2024 has shown that CNT are no longer TT gods and Wang Hao is likely going to age way quicker than all of his predecessors.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Interesting that Omar Assar has been withdrawn and replaced with the P card in Men's Team against Taiwan shortly.

 

[driversbeat]

Interesting that Omar Assar has been withdrawn and replaced with the P card in Men's Team against Taiwan shortly.

Nina hasn't withdrawn yet. How long before a match are teams allowed to call for replacement?

 

[driversbeat]

JNT finally listened. Only because they were forced to with Hayata's injury. My preference would be Hayata/Miwa doubles though because Hirano is still their best bet against CNT in singles.

Will be interesting to see how Hayata performs and if she can sustain herself until the finals. Otherwise better to get Kihara on early so that she can get used to playing on the Olympic stage.

Both India and Romania want to take this. Whoever wins will have an easy path to semifinals with just US/a weakened Germany in the way.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Nina hasn't withdrawn yet. How long before a match are teams allowed to call for replacement?

View attachment 31343

I think Nina will withdraw eventually
they only playing tomorrow....

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

JNT finally listened. Only because they were forced to with Hayata's injury. My preference would be Hayata/Miwa doubles though because Hirano is still their best bet against CNT in singles.

Will be interesting to see how Hayata performs and if she can sustain herself until the finals. Otherwise better to get Kihara on early so that she can get used to playing on the Olympic stage.

I think they testing + resting Hayata, by giving her M1 and M5
if she struggles in M1, Japan would still likely win 3-0 or 3-1 if WD fails dismally.
and then maybe Kihara will P card in.
I agree it is a problem to bring in Kihara in too late in the tournament.

Or maybe Hayata will fight through the pain....

 

[driversbeat]

a lot tougher than expected

Japan first to finish again. Didn't pay attention to the full match but Hirano definitely had her ZJK gene activated in G1.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

a lot tougher than expected

View attachment 31346

Now Hayata deserves a rest.
Surely no match 5 required for her.

 

[zeio]

JNT finally listened. Only because they were forced to with Hayata's injury. My preference would be Hayata/Miwa doubles though because Hirano is still their best bet against CNT in singles.

Will be interesting to see how Hayata performs and if she can sustain herself until the finals. Otherwise better to get Kihara on early so that she can get used to playing on the Olympic stage.

View attachment 31344

Both India and Romania want to take this. Whoever wins will have an easy path to semifinals with just US/a weakened Germany in the way.

View attachment 31345

Even if Hayata were healthy, Watanabe would likely have fielded Harimoto in two singles to get her up to speed to the playing conditions of the main hall. Given that, Kihara will be benched unless Hayata's condition worsens.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

CCY and Kao managed to come back from 0-2 down to win the men's doubles.

Some cool facts
1) CCY is is 43 yrs old. Kao is is 19
2) CCY is Kao's coach
Is this the first time coach + student player are teaming up for doubles on the big events?

I shared previously, CCY is an academy owner + coach + active high level player.
Can't think of any one matching (all 3) this any time soon.

 

[driversbeat]

Even if Hayata was healthy, Watanabe would likely have fielded Harimoto in two singles to get her up to speed to the playing conditions of the main hall. Given that, Kihara will be benched unless Hayata's condition worsens.

Would make more sense to play Miwa in 1 and 3 so that she can get used to both singles and doubles.

 

[driversbeat]

Batra 3-0 Szocs
India 2-0 Romania

Szocs doesn't seem to perform well at the Olympics. Failed to reach her singles seeded position in Tokyo and Paris. Also more wins than loses in the team event.

Sreeja 11-8 Samara.
Indian girls have really amped up their forehand.
I thought this would go down to the wire but Romania is struggling to even take their first game!
Samara finally making things competitive, 2-2 now.
Samara got used to the long pips. 3-2.

Szocs vs Kamath now. Might end up going to the decider after all.

 

[karupinkun]

what was the controversy between truls and lind at the end of set 2?