WTT Champions Chongqing 2024

[FIXPOINT]

 

[zeio]

WS R16
Zhang An 1-3 Hayata (-9, -10, 9, -6)
G2 109, 1012
G3 810, 910, 911
G4 17, 37, 39, 59, 69, 611

Hirano talked about how the selection race for Tokyo 2020 was 10s of times more difficult than that for Paris 2024 because of jet lag. We've seen how Hirano fared in 2023 and now Hayata as well. Paris won't be as bad as Rio but expect to brace for impact, more so for Hayata who will take on 3 events. Like for XD, Ito is lucky to have gotten a WS bronze medal.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

WS R16
Zhang An 1-3 Hayata (-9, -10, 9, -6)
G2 109, 1012
G3 810, 910, 911
G4 17, 37, 39, 59, 69, 611

Hirano talked about how the selection race for Tokyo 2020 was 10s of times more difficult[/b] than that for Paris 2020 [/b]because of jet lag. We've seen how Hirano fared in 2023 and now Hayata as well. Paris won't be as bad as Rio but expect to brace for impact, more so for Hayata who will take on 3 events. Like for XD, Ito is lucky to have gotten a WS bronze medal.

not really lucky, at that time she deserved her #3 seeding and outside the Chinese nobody could beat her. She was still dominant inside Japan as well.

 

[kindof99]

It is crazy that it is midnight at ChongQing right now, and the match is going on. Another thing that WTT cares so much about its players.

 

[FIXPOINT]

 

[igorponger]

Insane environment -- everything in black. WTT needs a psychiatrist for all present evidence.

 

[zeio]

not really lucky, at that time she deserved her #3 seeding and outside the Chinese nobody could beat her. She was still dominant inside Japan as well.

Yes, she was lucky. She actually talked about how she didn't get enough sleep after winning the XD (3.5 hours) at Tokyo 2020 and how she was glad she got through the first 2 rounds in WS (Fu Yu and S. Sawettabut). Even before that, she had often talked about how she played worse when she didn't get enough sleep for various reasons.

Hirano also revealed after securing the WS for Paris 2024 that she couldn't sleep at all during Tokyo 2020 but she could sleep well the night before Zennihon Takkyu 2024.

Even Ito admits her style is no good once people figure her out. Therefore, she was lucky the non-CNT players only got up to speed how to play her after the CNT demonstrated to the whole world.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...-be-revamped-for-paris-2024.24977/post-450783

Ito admits the XD gold and at the same time the failure to get WS gold at Tokyo 2020 have become the source of pride, regret and pressure, how she couldn't shake off the aura and how she erected a wall to keep others out.

In the more detailed interview with 47news, Ito even admits she felt the best she could do was WS bronze. As for the selection race, Ito admits her style is not suited to that kind of selection as people get used to it the more she becomes exposed. But on the other hand, she is the type that wins by getting used to other players and if she doesn't keep playing overseas, then her game becomes stagnant. It is a style that fits Japanese players but it is boring, and that is why she has not been able to move up.

卓球女子・伊藤美誠、東京五輪金メダルで失った「笑顔」がパリ五輪落選で復活した理由「ボロボロでも…」
https://hochi.news/articles/20240326-OHT1T51247.html?page=1

伊藤美誠は泣きながら母に伝えた「卓球が嫌になった状態でやめたくない」　五輪選考レースが終わった今だから明かせる当時の思い、そして世界ランク１位へ新たな挑戦
https://www.47news.jp/10659656.html
https://nordot.app/1139775773269246338?c=39546741839462401

卓球 伊藤美誠 ２人の夢が叶った日〜母と戦ったオリンピックの舞台裏〜

 

[d3nium]

It was a brilliant day of table tennis, some incredible matches 👌

 

[zeio]

zeio's probably calling for Sora's retirement since he lost and is shorter than Miwa despite the what we see in photos.

Why do Americans like straw man so much? See what I wrote again.

Miwa is very likely 167cm tall at WTTC 2024, with Hayata side-by-side for comparison.
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...pionships-finals-busan-2024.32987/post-444782
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...pionships-finals-busan-2024.32987/post-444786

Matsushima doesn't look 172cm at WTTC 2024, when compared to Shinozuka who stands at 165cm and Togami 170cm.
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...pionships-finals-busan-2024.32987/post-443675
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/wtt-contender-muscat-2023.32092/post-427641

WTT CS Chongqing 2024 (Matsushima stands a bit farther from camera in this shot so could appear smaller but the difference with Harimoto at 176cm looks right like at WTTC 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxw5xZqRfS8AMkVJMiH68SwdGkAxMeh1PS

 

[zeio]

So close! Had a match point even. Sora has an incredible future ahead of him.

Tell that to zeio lol.

Coming close against WCQ is worth bragging about now? What about Tanaka who actually beat him at ATTC 2023 which mattered much more? Great future ahead of him? He is still not sponsored to this day. All that effort and he got to play 1 match at WTTC 2024. There is a clear bias toward Matsushima (2023 MS win rate = 70%) when Tanaka is not inferior (2023 MS win rate = 76.19%, highest among core JNT players).

WTT CT Rio de Janeiro 2024
https://jtta.or.jp/tour/24834
WTT CT Mendoza 2024
https://jtta.or.jp/tour/25040

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/is-any-current-top-player-better-than-prime-ma-long-2015-2017.33643/post-453357

Harimoto and perhaps LYJ.

WCQ has lost too much in team event (not like he is much better than FZD in MS) and would likely have lost way more if he doesn't hide his serve.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Why do Americans like straw man so much? See what I wrote again.

Miwa is very likely 167cm tall at WTTC 2024, with Hayata side-by-side for comparison.
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...pionships-finals-busan-2024.32987/post-444782
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...pionships-finals-busan-2024.32987/post-444786

Matsushima doesn't look 172cm at WTTC 2024, when compared to Shinozuka who stands at 165cm and Togami 170cm.
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...pionships-finals-busan-2024.32987/post-443675
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/wtt-contender-muscat-2023.32092/post-427641

WTT CS Chongqing 2024 (Matsushima stands a bit farther from camera in this shot so could appear smaller but the difference with Harimoto at 176cm looks right like at WTTC 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxw5xZqRfS8AMkVJMiH68SwdGkAxMeh1PS

As you noted, Sora is standing further back so sure it's conceivable that he's slightly taller than Togami. I mean ~2 cm is not a whole lot. At one point, you said he was 165 cm. In any case, his height is not a limiting factor in his playing ability.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Coming close against WCQ is worth bragging about now? What about Tanaka who actually beat him at ATTC 2023 which mattered much more? Great future ahead of him? He is still not sponsored to this day. All that effort and he got to play 1 match at WTTC 2024. There is a clear bias toward Matsushima (2023 MS win rate = 70%) when Tanaka is not inferior (2023 MS win rate = 76.19%, highest among core JNT players).

WTT CT Rio de Janeiro 2024
https://jtta.or.jp/tour/24834
WTT CT Mendoza 2024
https://jtta.or.jp/tour/25040

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/is-any-current-top-player-better-than-prime-ma-long-2015-2017.33643/post-453357

I would have no problem at all if Tanaka were to be selected for majors. I fully agree him beating WCQ is a great accomplishment. But that doesn't take away from the wins that Matsushima has had and his growth potential. Before much of MyTT lost most of its history, I recall that you once described Sora's game as "meh". I think most TT enthusiasts would say it's quite a bit better than meh.

 

[turbozed]

Coming close against WCQ is worth bragging about now?

Almost beating the dominant WR#1 at home in China as a 17 year old? Yes.

What about Tanaka who actually beat him at ATTC 2023 which mattered much more?

This is also worth bragging about.

Great future ahead of him? He is still not sponsored to this day.

What does him not having a sponsorship deal have anything to do with his future? Please connect the dots for us. Seems like you admit that the JNT coaches and system are favoring him over Tanaka. Maybe they have access to info we don't? Also, Tanaka is 23. Isn't that well past the age where you ask most players to retire anyway?

All that effort and he got to play 1 match at WTTC 2024. There is a clear bias toward Matsushima (2023 MS win rate = 70%) when Tanaka is not inferior (2023 MS win rate = 76.19%, highest among core JNT players).

WTT CT Rio de Janeiro 2024
https://jtta.or.jp/tour/24834
WTT CT Mendoza 2024
https://jtta.or.jp/tour/25040

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/is-any-current-top-player-better-than-prime-ma-long-2015-2017.33643/post-453357

 

[NextLevel]

Almost beating the dominant WR#1 at home in China as a 17 year old? Yes.


This is also worth bragging about.


What does him not having a sponsorship deal have anything to do with his future? Please connect the dots for us. Seems like you admit that the JNT coaches and system are favoring him over Tanaka. Maybe they have access to info we don't? Also, Tanaka is 23. Isn't that well past the age where you ask most players to retire anyway?

The point about comparing the potential of a 17 year old to the potential of a 23 year old is too obvious to state and the point about 23 being well past zeio's achieve-or-retire age is well stated as well. Unfortunately, winning arguments is more fun than dispassionately presenting facts.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

Yes, she was lucky. She actually talked about how she didn't get enough sleep after winning the XD (3.5 hours) at Tokyo 2020 and how she was glad she got through the first 2 rounds in WS (Fu Yu and S. Sawettabut). Even before that, she had often talked about how she played worse when she didn't get enough sleep for various reasons.

Hirano also revealed after securing the WS for Paris 2024 that she couldn't sleep at all during Tokyo 2020 but she could sleep well the night before Zennihon Takkyu 2024.

Even Ito admits her style is no good once people figure her out. Therefore, she was lucky the non-CNT players only got up to speed how to play her after the CNT demonstrated to the whole world.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...-be-revamped-for-paris-2024.24977/post-450783



卓球 伊藤美誠 ２人の夢が叶った日〜母と戦ったオリンピックの舞台裏〜

That’s just anecdotes about the tournament
in that context I’m sure even Chen Meng will say she was lucky to win the Gold Medal.

Ito at that time had very decent results against the Chinese. Very young Ito pushed Ding Ning to the retreat and almost pushed Liu Shiwen to the same fate before the Tokyo Olympics…

the emergence of a new type of more physical players than Ding or Liu or Zhu in the name of Chen Meng then Sun and Wang MY YD meant things would be more difficult for her. I think Li Xiaoxia also was of the same strength but there were not many (important) encounters ?

Also Ito case is a bit similar to Harimoto. Exposed very young to the world senior stage. Some big results and triple medal at Olympics.
For sure it killed a bit her motivation since . Like Harimoto her main quality was speed and reaction, not athleticism, and that’s something that apparently peaks much earlier to her disadvantage.

IMO Ito achievements have been totally deserved and there is not much to say against it.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

Harimoto v FZD was another classic between the 2. Harimoto had good chances to win this one with early leads but FZD was better in money time.

Calderano v LJK is a fantastic match. Hugo is delivering missiles even 3m away from the table...

 

[zeio]

Calderano 3-2 LJK (6, 8, -11, -8, 6)

Calderano has fixed some long-standing issues of his game at the table, especially on FH. If he could reproduce and maintain this form throughout Paris 2024, then reaching the SF with his seeding won't be out of the question. The potential concern is that he might have shown his hand a little too soon.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...s-incheon-03-27-03-31-korea.33316/post-450635

Harimoto: LJK has many comeback wins, and that could be his quality...

WTTC 2021
LJK: Comeback is my motto!
WTT CS Chongqing 2024
Calderano: Burned!

 

[zeio]

It appears Miwa has added some substantial supination to her BH now. Very visible. Took a page from Szocs?

Didn't work well if not at all. Will have to decide whether to give it another try or 2.

It seems she dumped it in the middlegame of G2 and instead turned to a FH-oriented game with BH for transitioning.

Her dad is better at calling TO now. She needs it. Too many past matches lost due to lack of guidance at crucial times.

Still immature in the endgame against core CNT players. Losing tons of points on BH. Gotta find a way to use the FH more even if CM won't let her.

CM is visibly strained here as her hair is coming undone. In less significant tournaments, her untuned state, especially in terms of mental strength, can no longer sustain this level of intensity as well as a few years ago.

With less than 2 months to go, how far can Miwa reach? BH will be the biggest issue. Speed is another, which has not been her strength. Her BH has always been geared toward spin but doing it like how Szocs does it failed this time.

 

[zeio]

Despite the score line, this was one of the better matches out of 15 tries against SYS, as it showed how Hayata used her brain more (FINALLY) when dealing with jet lag and exhaustion.

G1 Dumb Hayata
G2 Dumb Hayata
G3 Smart Hayata

 

[Vlad Celler]

Zagreb, Ljubljana, Bangkok - Chinese women not declared...
Give the rest of the world a chance to raise their ratings?
The Chinese women are absolutely confident in their positions....

Hayata, Hirano, Ito, Miwa Harimoto - the results of games with Chinese players in recent tournaments are practically no different, in my opinion...