Saudi Smash 2024

[exotick]

Been thinknig after being happy with my pendulum serve, should i learn hook or reverse pendulum. Most ppl say hook is easier to learn and also disguise spin..but. What Polcanova just did at 10-10 is also the reason i'm leaning towards reverse pen. Starting the serve as she is about to do pendulum she quickly turns it to a reverse one. That must be pretty good combo. Though not sure how easy it is to perform the revese with the grip of the normal one. Anyone doing this combo?

 

[NextLevel]

I don't think it's necessarily a matter of playing level.
I mean if you see Bobrow playing in his videos, he's not really a top level player, more like an advanced veteran.
He has however deep knowledge about tactics, game strategy, strokes and players game styles.
When you hear him commenting, you easily understand that he has a deep understanding of all aspects of the game and knows a lot of about each individual player.
I would say that his knowledge far exceeds his playing level.

On the contrary, Riley and the other guy, I don't think they know anything about table tennis.
All their comments are general, comments that even a first time watcher would make.
Especially when I hear Riley with his cockney-Irish-I-don't-know-what accent, I can picture him in an English pub with a pint of beer, commenting about something he knows nothing about...

We are agreeing with different focuses, your term "advanced veteran" underestimates Adam's level. What Adam knows in commentary is not necessarily going to satisfy a better player than Adam, Adam is rated around USATT 2000-2200 (TTR 1700-1900), which is strong enough to satisfy many players, but you can tell a level difference between his commentary and say Richard Prause if you have ever heard Prause commentate. Though of course, hanging around better players and coaches like Adam does, combined with his 2100-2200 playing level, makes him very informed. But 2000-2200 is a very advanced level relative to most people, other than strong club and semi-pro plus players, most people find explanations at that level good or reasonable.

Fraser is unlikely to be at that level as a player but I don't know his level so I won't speculate too much. But he tries his best to explain what he sees and I have heard worse. And for someone who doesn't play, the other commentator I have always liked. He catches the right balance of ignorance and enthusiasm for me.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

My only beef with the commenting is Fraser's co-commentator (sorry didn't get his name). He's constantly talking during the points. When Fraser does solo commentary, he doesn't talk during the point mostly. Part of my enjoyment of table tennis is the sound of the ball interacting with blade and/or table. Certain sports have unique, pleasant sounds such as the swish of a basketball or the crack of a baseball bat. Speed glue sound was the best, but even now the cracking or tock sound is pleasant to me. Occasionally, I'll click on a match on YouTube with Asian commentators who literally talk non-stop and that is just unwatchable for me.

 

[Metaxa]

After barely scraping by Pucar and then getting wrecked by Lim Jonghoon in the first game 11-3, I wasn't giving Harimoto a chance at advancing.

But he somehow found a way to flip a switch and went on to win the next 3 games pretty convincingly. Not exactly sure what happened in between Game 1 and game 2 but it felt like a complete 180.

One of Harimoto's better matches of recent years I thought. Tactically very strong play from him. Finally some good variety in his counter play. Played a lot of parallel balls and that is often a good weapon, even against someone with the most illegal services.
Maybe there is hope for him after all.

 

[SleepyMaster]

Been thinknig after being happy with my pendulum serve, should i learn hook or reverse pendulum. Most ppl say hook is easier to learn and also disguise spin..but. What Polcanova just did at 10-10 is also the reason i'm leaning towards reverse pen. Starting the serve as she is about to do pendulum she quickly turns it to a reverse one. That must be pretty good combo. Though not sure how easy it is to perform the revese with the grip of the normal one. Anyone doing this combo?

Many pro players can do this pendulum/reverse pendulum starting from one motion. Even I can do that, and I’m not even a pro. Reverse pendulum is the hardest serve but it can be very effective against a lot of players. For some reason, people are struggling to read the spin more often with reverse pendulum than with other serves

 

[NextLevel]

What about the men's side?

Fang ZD and Wang CQ are men's side and they have been far ahead of everyone else for too long, it has mostly been a race for the 3rd spot but not really a race either, ML is clear front runner.

 

[kindof99]

My only beef with the commenting is Fraser's co-commentator (sorry didn't get his name). He's constantly talking during the points. When Fraser does solo commentary, he doesn't talk during the point mostly. Part of my enjoyment of table tennis is the sound of the ball interacting with blade and/or table. Certain sports have unique, pleasant sounds such as the swish of a basketball or the crack of a baseball bat. Speed glue sound was the best, but even now the cracking or tock sound is pleasant to me. Occasionally, I'll click on a match on YouTube with Asian commentators who literally talk non-stop and that is just unwatchable for me.

It should always be a common sense to stop talking during a point. And yet a lot of these commentators just need to put their tiny egos to talk, and quite often nonsense.

 

[FIXPOINT]

 

[FIXPOINT]

 

[blahness]

Been thinknig after being happy with my pendulum serve, should i learn hook or reverse pendulum. Most ppl say hook is easier to learn and also disguise spin..but. What Polcanova just did at 10-10 is also the reason i'm leaning towards reverse pen. Starting the serve as she is about to do pendulum she quickly turns it to a reverse one. That must be pretty good combo. Though not sure how easy it is to perform the revese with the grip of the normal one. Anyone doing this combo?

I can do both reverse pendulum as well as hook. Imo you can learn both.

Hook serve is easier to learn but harder to master imo (there's a lot of subtleties in the fakes and the wrist movement and the contact types) - it took me a while to create very heavy spin with it and even longer to disguise it well. But now I pretty much win entire matches with just the hook serve - this is why I think it is stronger than the reverse pendulum.

Reverse pendulum is harder on the wrist/shoulder/elbow imo which is why I don't like it. But it is easier to keep short and still very spinny so that's a plus. Hook serve can be harder to keep short sometimes (esp down the line) when your feeling aint the best. i have lost some matches because my "FH short" serves went too long.

 

[driversbeat]

Completely open bottom quarter especially given Batra's record against Hayata

If Hirano or Miwa can stop Chen Meng, Japan will have a good chance of having one representative in the final. Unlikely but the team needs a breakthrough especially since other Szocs and Samara have already beaten Chen Meng this cycle.

Ito or Kihara get another crack at Wang Yidi. The former to finally get her first win against a core CNT player and the latter to prove that her win against WYD wasn't a flash in the pan.

Top quarter has SYS. Enough said.

 

[Arkady]

We are agreeing with different focuses, your term "advanced veteran" underestimates Adam's level. What Adam knows in commentary is not necessarily going to satisfy a better player than Adam, Adam is rated around USATT 2000-2200 (TTR 1700-1900), which is strong enough to satisfy many players, but you can tell a level difference between his commentary and say Richard Prause if you have ever heard Prause commentate. Though of course, hanging around better players and coaches like Adam does, combined with his 2100-2200 playing level, makes him very informed. But 2000-2200 is a very advanced level relative to most people, other than strong club and semi-pro plus players, most people find explanations at that level good or reasonable.

Fraser is unlikely to be at that level as a player but I don't know his level so I won't speculate too much. But he tries his best to explain what he sees and I have heard worse. And for someone who doesn't play, the other commentator I have always liked. He catches the right balance of ignorance and enthusiasm for me.

I haven't seen Bobrow playing in a real match, only in his videos where he is just goofing around and having fun, so I may misjudging his real level. Besides his playing level, what matters is that he is an excellent and funny commentator who helps the viewer understand the game and its tactics and gives a lot of interesting information.
I can't compare him to Richard Prause because I haven't really heard him.

I stand however by my conviction that not everything about the game is a matter of playing level. Some players have an innate understanding of strategy, tactics and identifying opponents' weaknesses which may be far better than other players of higher level.
I believe that Bobrow is such a case and that is what makes him an excellent commentator: When he watches a game, he is able to identify the tactics employed by each player and present it to the viewer.

On the other hand, Riley and the other guy they may have enthusiasm but they only have a superficial knowledge of the game. That's why their comments are like "What a great shot this was" etc. They never analyze tactics and strategy. That may be enough for regional tournaments but for WTT Tournaments we need more commentators like Bobrow.

PS If you want to take an idea about Riley's level, you can see him playing in this video which seems very recent.

 

[zeio]

The-pair-that-works vs the-pairs-that-do-not.

WD
R32
Harimoto/Hirano 1-3 Liu Yangzi/Ng Wing Lam (-8, -8, 10, -8)
R16
Liu Yangzi/Ng Wing Lam 3-0 CIC/Li Yu-Jhun (6, 10, 8)
QF
Balazova/Matelova 2-3 Liu Yangzi/Ng Wing Lam (-8, 5, 10, -4, -8)

 

[SFF_lib]

The Swedes mens double played amazingly. If Kellberg plays consistently they have a chance of beating ML/WCQ.

 

[turbozed]

Brilliant comeback for Cho Daesung but rough loss for Quadri. Aruna had a chance to put the game away with a smashed against a popped up return but dumped it in the net instead. Always silly to hear the phrase "scar power" from the WTT commentators but that mistake definitely must've had something like that effect.

 

[d3nium]

Cho D is such a talent! Amazing comeback, he looked dead and buried after the 2nd set.

 

[NextLevel]

I haven't seen Bobrow playing in a real match, only in his videos where he is just goofing around and having fun, so I may misjudging his real level. Besides his playing level, what matters is that he is an excellent and funny commentator who helps the viewer understand the game and its tactics and gives a lot of interesting information.
I can't compare him to Richard Prause because I haven't really heard him.

I stand however by my conviction that not everything about the game is a matter of playing level. Some players have an innate understanding of strategy, tactics and identifying opponents' weaknesses which may be far better than other players of higher level.
I believe that Bobrow is such a case and that is what makes him an excellent commentator: When he watches a game, he is able to identify the tactics employed by each player and present it to the viewer.

On the other hand, Riley and the other guy they may have enthusiasm but they only have a superficial knowledge of the game. That's why their comments are like "What a great shot this was" etc. They never analyze tactics and strategy. That may be enough for regional tournaments but for WTT Tournaments we need more commentators like Bobrow.

PS If you want to take an idea about Riley's level, you can see him playing in this video which seems very recent.

Bobrow has been doing this for about 10 years if memory serves me right ans has spent a decade on tour in various capacities. There were people who complained about his commentary in worse ways than you are complaining about Fraser when he started. His humor wasn't always appreciated either. Some people wanted deeper commentary

In any case, Fraser plays at a higher level that I expected, so maybe you are right, he just doesn't know how to share technical insights or he doesn't hang around top players and coaches enough to absorb them. But I currently don't have a major problem with his commentary and I wouldn't have said the same 2 years ago.

 

[NextLevel]

Brilliant comeback for Cho Daesung but rough loss for Quadri. Aruna had a chance to put the game away with a smashed against a popped up return but dumped it in the net instead. Always silly to hear the phrase "scar power" from the WTT commentators but that mistake definitely must've had something like that effect.

He still got to match point so whatever scar power the point had, he recovered enough to get his chances.

 

[Arkady]

I'm starting to think that there is something wrong with the humidity or the ventilation of the venue.
Yesterday Boll licked at his finger trying to figure out if there were any air drafts, today Jorgic's shots were going to the net and he was looking at this racket... Even Ma Long was checking his racket....

 

[Arkady]

Bobrow has been doing this for about 10 years if memory serves me right ans has spent a decade on tour in various capacities. There were people who complained about his commentary in worse ways than you are complaining about Fraser when he started. His humor wasn't always appreciated either. Some people wanted deeper commentary

In any case, Fraser plays at a higher level that I expected, so maybe you are right, he just doesn't know how to share technical insights or he doesn't hang around top players and coaches enough to absorb them. But I currently don't have a major problem with his commentary and I wouldn't have said the same 2 years ago.

I don't remember Bobrow in his first days to be sincere, but I can't recall hearing complaints about him.
But I'm taking your word for it since you've been watching him longer than I have.

With regards to Riley, what annoys me more than his commentary is his accent. I can't stand it and sometimes I can't understand what he's saying.
Ok I understand that's local the accent where he grew up, but with international viewers from all over the world, WTT should have chosen someone with a more neutral accent.