World Table Tennis Championships 2019

[FruitLoop]

Shame! That 3rd set was crucial.

 

[Suga D]

Really tough on Franziska too

Absolutely. In his case I would be really mad. I don´t want to stand on the other side of the table when he plays XD semis later on. That backhand was terrifying last night.

 

[zeio]

So not convinced here
The ones who have lost to Ito and Hirano remain...

 

[Atas Newton]

Yeah, had to omit Li Xiaoxia since all the rest are still active And before them all there was also Wang Nan - Zhang Yining with 3 Olympic gold medals between them. Quite the history of rivalries.

 

[zeio]

 

[Janard]

Yeah, had to omit Li Xiaoxia since all the rest are still active And before them all there was also Wang Nan - Zhang Yining with 3 Olympic gold medals between them. Quite the history of rivalries.

These 'golden' pairs also make the best doubles partners. ZYN/WN, LXX/Guo Yue, LSW/DN, CM/ZYL and now WMY/SYS (though I wouldn't quite discount CXT).

 

[NextLevel]

Womens Doubles on script so far. Hmm Table 2 and Table 4 pretending to be interesting...

 

[zeio]

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

so disappointed for HARIMOTO. I wouldn't say he choked. AN played really very well, very strong in rallies. His serves were good too. HARIMOTO made too many mistakes receiving with his BH.

But yeah, HARIMOTO couldn't handle the pressure. He lost last year in Youth Olympic Finals to WANG Chuqin. and in National Champs to OSHIMA. and now this.

Maybe he doesn't have what it takes ? I hope not and that he will grow stronger from those very tough defeats.

 

[RidTheKid]

Can someone please shed some light on what Wang Hao said to Ma Long after this match? The tone didn't seem awfully friendly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q15BfXN45c

 

[yoass]

Adam's doing the superstar FAN/DING - XUI/LUI XD semifinal. With the Jill that used to be Hammersley once upon a time. Yay!

 

[RidTheKid]

The boy is 15! When I was his age I'd cry if I didn't get my allowance. He hasn't quite developed the tools to cope with his match nerves and disappointments yet, but he certainly will. The boy is a prodigy.

so disappointed for HARIMOTO. I wouldn't say he choked. AN played really very well, very strong in rallies. His serves were good too. HARIMOTO made too many mistakes receiving with his BH.

But yeah, HARIMOTO couldn't handle the pressure. He lost last year in Youth Olympic Finals to WANG Chuqin. and in National Champs to OSHIMA. and now this.

Maybe he doesn't have what it takes ? I hope not and that he will grow stronger from those very tough defeats.

 

[Garrison]

so disappointed for HARIMOTO. I wouldn't say he choked. AN played really very well, very strong in rallies. His serves were good too. HARIMOTO made too many mistakes receiving with his BH.

But yeah, HARIMOTO couldn't handle the pressure. He lost last year in Youth Olympic Finals to WANG Chuqin. and in National Champs to OSHIMA. and now this.

Maybe he doesn't have what it takes ? I hope not and that he will grow stronger from those very tough defeats.

Ma Long was world class at 18 and didn't win WTTC until he was 26. FZD won't win it until he is at least 24. Harimoto is 15! Give him time...

 

[zeio]

Can someone please shed some light on what Wang Hao said to Ma Long after this match? The tone didn't seem awfully friendly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q15BfXN45c

He told him "you'll never beat me at the major...I'll retire with a winning H2H."

Serious mode: He asked "did you sprain your ankle or what?" A fan asked him on his Weibo sometime after that match.

 

[Atas Newton]

First time I see Liu Shiwen smiling
View attachment 19015

she's actually quite a jester from what I've seen in the interviews. Well maybe not a jester but a girl with a good sense of humour, unfortunately a rare thing

 

[RidTheKid]

Oh so Wang Hao was actually being thoughful. And another thing. Is it more or less true that Wang Hao was forcefully retired to leave room for Ma Long to flourish?

He told him "you'll never beat me at the major...I'll retire with a winning H2H."

Serious mode: He asked "did you sprain your ankle or what?" A fan asked him on his Weibo sometime after that match.

 

[usualsuspect]

Ma Long was world class at 18 and didn't win WTTC until he was 26. FZD won't win it until he is at least 24. Harimoto is 15! Give him time...

I believe FZD might win WTTC at some point. Harimoto, I'm more skeptical. It's generally very rare for non-Chinese nationals to win WTTC.

 

[yoass]

I believe FZD might win WTTC at some point. Harimoto, I'm more skeptical. It's generally very rare for non-Chinese nationals to win WTTC.

Taking only my own personal timeline as a reference: Stellan Bengtsson, István Jónyer, Mitsuru Kohno, Seiji Ono, Jan-Ove Waldner (twice), Jörgen Persson, Jean-Philippe Gatien and Werner Schlager would not necessarily concur. That's 9 out of the last 24 WTTC titles won by a non-Chinese national, with the 25th still open.

 

[zeio]

Oh so Wang Hao was actually being thoughful. And another thing. Is it more or less true that Wang Hao was forcefully retired to leave room for Ma Long to flourish?

Ya, he retired rather early compared to WLQ and MLin. After WTTC 2013, he said he wanted to turn to coaching some time after the National Games. That's the common way to end a career for CNT. ZYN did that in 2009. WLQ, MLin, CQ and others as well and I guess WH thought he couldn't hold out until Rio and so might as well tag along and retire. Otherwise, he would've had to wait until 2017.

 

[NextLevel]

Ya, he retired rather early compared to WLQ and MLin. After WTTC 2013, he said he wanted to turn to coaching some time after the National Games. That's the common way to end a career for CNT. ZYN did that in 2009. WLQ, MLin, CQ and others as well and I guess WH thought he couldn't hold out until Rio and so might as well tag along and retire. Otherwise, he would've had to wait until 2017.

Ma Long did beat him at the National Games. Small but tangible consolidation.