Swedish Open 2011

[Michal_Z]

Wang Liqin just leads Zhang Jike 3:0 !!! (I mean games, not points! )

 

[Michal_Z]

Aaaand Zhang Jike is out! He lost to Wang Liqin 4:1! Just unbelieveable!

 

[Dan]

Aaaand Zhang Jike is out! He lost to Wang Liqin 4:1! Just unbelieveable!

Impressive performance! Im surprised!

Ma Long is now through as he Kirill Skachkov 4-0 with scores 11-1,13-11,11-7,16-14.

I want to make a quick prediction guys,,,

I think Wang Hao will win this tournament

 

[azlan]

Though the odds may stack against him, I sure would like Wang Liqin to win it. My heart says so, but my mind says Wang Hao...nevertheless, I still voted for Da Li.

 

[Fernando]

I am happy! wang liqin in SF, I would like to see a final between Wang Liqin and Ma long

 

[dici]

Yeah, I hope Da Li will get into final!

 

[scylla24]

haha, I am glad to see so many people routing for WLQ. It would be awesome to see him somehow win, though it will be hard for him to beat Wang Hao, and if he does, even harder for him to beat Ma Long. There was a time when he always beat Wang Hao, but that was pre-2007.

But, I am still very happy he beat ZJK. The two both love to play the power game, its too bad for ZJK, that no one has mastered the power game better than WLQ!!

 

[GECA]

 

[WiWa]

Now that ZJK is out I want WLQ to win it, even though he is the one knocking ZJK out haha.

 

[benlarcombe]

Can't wait to watch WLQ on ittv

 

[Dan]

Semi Finals:

1) Wang Hao vs Wang Liqin

2) Seiya Kishikawa vs Ma Long

My predictions... Wang Hao and Ma Long will win their semi's..

Whats your predictions of the semi final guys?

 

[Dan]

Thanks GECA! Awesome uploaded!

Is it me or has Wang Hao's forehand got more powerful?

 

[blahness]

I'm surprised that Wang Liqin got past ZJK! I'm just hoping that he will have a better score against Wang Hao than 0-4. On the other hand, Ma Long still tends to be conservative at critical moments, he just goes back to basic pushes, weak looping, BH serving and just doesn't try hard enough, unlike Zhang Jike and Ma Lin, who all have specialties to be used in these critical moment. If Kirill was a bit more competent on killing weak serve returns, Ma Long would have lost the 4th game already. Zhang Jike has his ultra spinny reverse serve, and a very dangerous BH over-the-table loop receive of serve, Ma Lin has his deceptive serves, very tight 1st class pushing skills and a point-ending FH loop, and Wang Hao his RPB flick, and serving from centre of the table. Ma Long desperately needs to develop a specialty, a reliable point-winning weapon that can be depended on in critical situations.

 

[dici]

Talk about Swedish Open, anyone see anything inside this article? I feel like the author has some sort of time traveling ability lol

http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=25959&Competition_ID=2086&

 

[azlan]

Talk about Swedish Open, anyone see anything inside this article? I feel like the author has some sort of time traveling ability lol

http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=25959&Competition_ID=2086&

You bet buddy, very informative..obviously a Beatle's die hard fan. Thanx for the link, I thoroughly enjoyed the link. He really spend time to do his research. Excellent!!

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I'm surprised that Wang Liqin got past ZJK! I'm just hoping that he will have a better score against Wang Hao than 0-4. On the other hand, Ma Long still tends to be conservative at critical moments, he just goes back to basic pushes, weak looping, BH serving and just doesn't try hard enough, unlike Zhang Jike and Ma Lin, who all have specialties to be used in these critical moment. If Kirill was a bit more competent on killing weak serve returns, Ma Long would have lost the 4th game already. Zhang Jike has his ultra spinny reverse serve, and a very dangerous BH over-the-table loop receive of serve, Ma Lin has his deceptive serves, very tight 1st class pushing skills and a point-ending FH loop, and Wang Hao his RPB flick, and serving from centre of the table. Ma Long desperately needs to develop a specialty, a reliable point-winning weapon that can be depended on in critical situations.

You mean coming back from being down 10-6, bringing himself back to deuce, overcoming 7 game points in all and winning a game he did not really need to win when he was up 3-0 was not enough? I was surprised what Skadochkov was doing to Ma Long's serves though. But realistically speaking, when you win a match 4-0 it is not really like it was close even if two of the games were.

 

[blahness]

You mean coming back from being down 10-6, bringing himself back to deuce, overcoming 7 game points in all and winning a game he did not really need to win when he was up 3-0 was not enough? I was surprised what Skadochkov was doing to Ma Long's serves though. But realistically speaking, when you win a match 4-0 it is not really like it was close even if two of the games were.

actually i meant that part... yes! Though it was Ma Long who saved 7 game points and winning the game, I was surprised at how nervous both of them looked, Kirill missed 4-5 high ball smashes that should have gave him the match, and Ma Long just resorts to pushing even if it meant that the ball went high.(he pushed a few topspin serves) Perhaps Ma Long saw that Kirill was having difficulty attacking those pushes, so he just gave Kirill the opportunity to make those mistakes. If he actually had that intention, then he is playing very cleverly to his opponents weakness here. But seriously Ma Long still needs a point winning specialty weapon that he can use in situations like this. Any of the top players would have ended the point decisively on those high pushes that Ma Long gave.

 

[janus]

(ms-qf) WANG Hao - MIZUTANI Jun [Full Match|Short Form]

--enjoy!!

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

actually i meant that part... yes! Though it was Ma Long who saved 7 game points and winning the game, I was surprised at how nervous both of them looked, Kirill missed 4-5 high ball smashes that should have gave him the match, and Ma Long just resorts to pushing even if it meant that the ball went high.(he pushed a few topspin serves) Perhaps Ma Long saw that Kirill was having difficulty attacking those pushes, so he just gave Kirill the opportunity to make those mistakes. If he actually had that intention, then he is playing very cleverly to his opponents weakness here. But seriously Ma Long still needs a point winning specialty weapon that he can use in situations like this. Any of the top players would have ended the point decisively on those high pushes that Ma Long gave.

I was referring to Ma Long saving 7 game points. I don't think it should have mattered to Ma Long if he won that 4th game or not. He had a 3-0 lead. There is not much difference winning 4-0 and 4-1. At 3-0 he was not going to lose, not to Skadochkov.

If Ma Long does not have game winning shots what are his over the table backhand banana, his forehand flick, his forehand third ball kill? Every player has points where they are struggling. He was struggling with Skadochkov in that 4th game. There is no doubt about it. I am not sure why. But, he was up 3-0, he won 4-0. In a way he might have been better off dropping the 4th game and refinding his rhythm in the 5th game to win convincingly. Now if he looked like that in the 7th game of the match it would be a different story. And I have seen him get tight in the seventh game of a match. But I have seen everyone get tight. In the World Championships at 10-5 in the 6th game of the finals, Zhang Jike got extremely tight and started just pushing and hoping for Wang Hao to mess up. The whole match he was attacking Wang Hao's serve with his over the table backhand banana. And all a sudden he was tentative and pushing stuff that was long????? He almost choked. He only woke up when the pressure was back on.

Every player has that sometimes but, when you are up 3-0 and win 4-0 anyway, does it really matter? It is when you are down and have to come back from 3-1 back that shows what you have in terms of taking points and games. And you don't get to be ranked #1 in the world without an arsenal.

 

[Bollforte94]

Carl you are right! In all points! Ma Longs forehandflick is just ... 0_o ;D