Saudi Smash 2024

[Arkady]

I have to say Franziska put quite a fight against WCQ. I had it for an easy 4-0...

 

[TT Lover]

Congratulations to WCQ.

Triple Champions for Saudi Smash.
1/. Men single.
2/. Men double.
3/. Mix double.

 

[Janard]

If the CNT coaches do not amend the rules and point calculations again, current standings as below for WS (post-Saudi):

1) SYS - 30,050 pts (9,200 international pts + 20,850 domestic pts)
2) CM - 17,960 pts (6,410 pts + 11,550 pts)
3) WMY - 11,865 pts (5,965 pts + 5,900 pts)
...
47) KM with -5,165 pts (835 pts with -6,000 pts)

Announcements likely to come 14 May following WR renewal.

Source: TT Blogger https://wx1.sinaimg.cn/mw690/0082999Qgy1hplxnzdkbzj315o35s1kx.jpg

 

[Shine]

This OG qualifying with only two players from each country is akin to me after eating a hearty buffet breakfast on a cruise ship and before you get to digest it, it is lunch time already and before me is another spread of international five star buffet and I have stomach space for only two dishes. it sucks man, I tell you, it truly sucks.

It's more or less a surety that China wins if the Olympics have 4 players per country

 

[Choosikick]

If WH were the coach for WCQ, WCQ might have lost. XZ is really a good coach on the court.

It seemed to me that even before the match he had already begun to celebrate and knocked back a couple of glasses of sake.

 

[Shine]

on paper, Felix has better advantage, especially he isn't Asian (no China for continental points)
he has the seeds to avoid wr1 and wr2 now in many tournaments, so he better cherish his points that are expiring as the months go by. He needs to replace his expiring points with same or higher.... and that is the tough part.

Felix does have a mental issue too, not as bad as his brother, but he does have issues and would need help, otherwise, he would just become LGY number 2.

I do route for more players beating CNT, especially CNT is so frail now.
Who would thought that FZD might be gone earlier than Ma Long, depsite the age gap.
we would thought that Ma Long will depart in 2024 and FZD will be solid WR no1 and undefeatable, with WCQ the new champion and Lin Shidong the next in line.
Well, that is why Qin retired, as my Beijing source told me, Qin is protecting his own life when he retired from the men's head coach position.

He's protecting his life in what way??
Wasn't he seated next to LGL watching the LGY Vs TH match very closely almost to the point of analysing it.

It's very obvious that coach Qin is very much in the architecture of the Chinese team, he's just more into planning and administration and leaving the coaching to the next generation.
His protégé is retiring soon, and it makes sense that he takes a step back as that generation fades away.
This is why it's important to validate one's sources.

 

[Choosikick]

He had clearly recovered to me, Wang Chuqin is a very tough opponent to play for the first time in a final, especially when they likely prepped him extensively after Fan lost. Thankfully it was best of seven so we got to see Franziska adapt because the levels are not that far apart. I have said it multiple times, Franziska is a special athlete, he is maybe too nice or something. Hopefully the lessons of this event will stick. His junior days in Bundesliga created great expectations, relative to those he is a disappointment. Maybe there is still some hope.

Patrick only started playing after Jörg took a timeout and gave him a banana to eat.

 

[Robin0910]

What did you mean?

Birthday celebration

 

[kindof99]

If the CNT coaches do not amend the rules and point calculations again, current standings as below for WS (post-Saudi):

1) SYS - 30,050 pts (9,200 international pts + 20,850 domestic pts)
2) CM - 17,960 pts (6,410 pts + 11,550 pts)
3) WMY - 11,865 pts (5,965 pts + 5,900 pts)
...
47) KM with -5,165 pts (835 pts with -6,000 pts)

Announcements likely to come 14 May following WR renewal.

Source: TT Blogger https://wx1.sinaimg.cn/mw690/0082999Qgy1hplxnzdkbzj315o35s1kx.jpg

WMY might never get a chance for Olympics singles. But a gold for the team will earn her enough money and reputation in China.

 

[JustANoob]

Patrick only started playing after Jörg took a timeout and gave him a banana to eat.

Should've given him a snickers

 

[Shine]

How does the weak rallier in WCQ keep winning all these tournaments.

He only has his serve but going on, but Patrick received well on serve and timely blocks today. Must be something...

 

[kindof99]

How does the weak rallier in WCQ keep winning all these tournaments.

He only has his serve but going on, but Patrick received well on serve and timely blocks today. Must be something...

third ball attack, attack half long like ML

 

[MaLang]

How does the weak rallier in WCQ keep winning all these tournaments.

He only has his serve but going on, but Patrick received well on serve and timely blocks today. Must be something...

Wang Chuqin is one hell of a player at the moment. Even more so against non-Chinese opponents. His only ‘weakness’ is his wide forehand, as recently exposed by Ma Long. But even there you need to be able to hit winners.
There are no rallies in his games because he is hitting harder and closer to the table compared to anyone else.

To me, this final Franz needed 2 games to somewhat accustom to Wang’s power. But Wang is still too fast, too powerful & too consistent. This year he is a completely different beast compared to the rest of the CNT. In game 4 Wang looked very passive and not decisive anymore. Game 5 he came back, but still on 80% with some easier errors before full on powering in game 6 again.
Even if Wang is not on his A-Game, his opening shots from both BH and FH are such high quality that non-Chinese players cannot get into any rallies with him. Only Ma long has the same quality but only on his FH.

 

[Choosikick]

Wang Chuqin is one hell of a player at the moment. Even more so against non-Chinese opponents. His only ‘weakness’ is his wide forehand, as recently exposed by Ma Long. But even there you need to be able to hit winners.
There are no rallies in his games because he is hitting harder and closer to the table compared to anyone else.

To me, this final Franz needed 2 games to somewhat accustom to Wang’s power. But Wang is still too fast, too powerful & too consistent. This year he is a completely different beast compared to the rest of the CNT. In game 4 Wang looked very passive and not decisive anymore. Game 5 he came back, but still on 80% with some easier errors before full on powering in game 6 again.
Even if Wang is not on his A-Game, his opening shots from both BH and FH are such high quality that non-Chinese players cannot get into any rallies with him. Only Ma long has the same quality but only on his FH.

Wang is a very strong player, it’s not for nothing that he is now the first racket in the world, but another strong player can win him if he plays with Wang more often.
The Chinese national team players play often against each other, so it is easier for them to play with Wang than for all the other players in the world.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Hayata started the tournament vs. Lee Ho Ching with her traditional Gyo En blade, but then switched to her signature Hina Hayata H2 Blade for her remaining matches.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

He's protecting his life in what way??
Wasn't he seated next to LGL watching the LGY Vs TH match very closely almost to the point of analysing it.

It's very obvious that coach Qin is very much in the architecture of the Chinese team, he's just more into planning and administration and leaving the coaching to the next generation.
His protégé is retiring soon, and it makes sense that he takes a step back as that generation fades away.
This is why it's important to validate one's sources.

Haha
You will never understand and you obviously don’t seem to have the intent of finding out. The replacements isnt doing too good.

I gave a tribute to Qin when he retired.
At age 46 he still has so much to offer, but we all know why

 

[igorponger]

Нe who climbed high shall crash down badly.

____________________
FAIR PLAY FIRST

 

[NextLevel]

Patrick only started playing after Jörg took a timeout and gave him a banana to eat.

And after he had lost 3 games as well, during which he had learned something.

 

[NextLevel]

Wang is a very strong player, it’s not for nothing that he is now the first racket in the world, but another strong player can win him if he plays with Wang more often.
The Chinese national team players play often against each other, so it is easier for them to play with Wang than for all the other players in the world.

Agreed, players like Jang, Franziska and Lebrun A. have the physical tools and playing level, they just need the exposure. I could even add Calderano and Jorgic to that list. But they need the exposure. It's just hard to beat someone lie WCQ seeing him only sporadically at tournaments even his fakes caught Franziska in the beginning but later he started reading them better and blocked the ball weakly back on the table a few times for winners.

 

[blahness]

How does the weak rallier in WCQ keep winning all these tournaments.

He only has his serve but going on, but Patrick received well on serve and timely blocks today. Must be something...

the serve, short push and 3rd ball FH is a killer, much like a younger Ma Long. The rallies just need to be good enough to not be a liability. Not everyone is meant to be the king of rallies like Fan Zhendong.

But that said, it is interesting that FZD worked on short game for so long and it is still not really up there, and his serves are still vanilla af. Sometimes there's levels of talent in TT. You can't be good at everything unless you're Ma Long...