WTT Champions Frankfurt 2024

[Sims]

FZD was monster at 16. So much so, that many were skeptical about his age, there were even discussions about it in these forums IIRC.

So basically what you're saying is that LSD is 24.
That makes sense to me.
Sssshhh, that's how rumours start!! 🤫

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I think WCQ has fallen (these few months atleast)
FZD is not in good shape
so LSD has a perfect timing to shine.

given previous generations of CNT players, most of them are not that lucky.
Ask Ma Long. He was a backup for over 10 years.

LSD is basically the only one in his age group (or his generation) that can fill that spot.

 

[Sims]

For me, all this tournament and ranking stuff is cool, but WTTC performance is the benchmark.

And on that score here are some interesting, if somewhat predictable, statistics:
From the Top Tier tournaments: (Tier 1-Smash Events, Tier 2-WTT Finals, Tier 3-WTT Champions)
- from 5 smash Tournaments with 5 events each (25 events total) there are 25 Chinese winners.
- WTT Finals, 3 tournaments, 8 events, 8 Chinese winners.
- WTT Champions events, 10 tournaments, 20 events, 16 Chinese winners.

Performance benchmark indeed!
Just found it interesting looking at the results in these, it's nice to see the European and ROW wins in the Tier 4 events (contenders etc) now translating to more competitive landscape on the higher tiers.
This could spawn it's own thread about the perceived health of the game globally but with the American MLTT starting now also it seems to be in a good place, or at least moving in a good direction

 

[M51]

Let's see...

(2.6.4.) From the start of service until it is struck, the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server's end line, and it shall not be hidden from the receiver by the server or his or her doubles partner or by anything they wear or carry.

(2.6.5.) As soon as the ball has been projected, the server’s free arm and hand shall be removed from the space between the ball and the net.

But hey, lets fault the players for supposedly under-tossing by a fraction of an inch instead!

Ugh...

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Let's see...

(2.6.4.) From the start of service until it is struck, the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server's end line, and it shall not be hidden from the receiver by the server or his or her doubles partner or by anything they wear or carry.

(2.6.5.) As soon as the ball has been projected, the server’s free arm and hand shall be removed from the space between the ball and the net.

But hey, lets fault the players for supposedly under-tossing by a fraction of an inch instead!

Ugh...

where is WTT and their "guess where is the ball" social media post.
they don't even need to remove the ball when using this photo.

and people ask LYJ why you struggled..... he said, I can't find where the ball is on this post

 

[rpb23]

Let's see...

(2.6.4.) From the start of service until it is struck, the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server's end line, and it shall not be hidden from the receiver by the server or his or her doubles partner or by anything they wear or carry.

(2.6.5.) As soon as the ball has been projected, the server’s free arm and hand shall be removed from the space between the ball and the net.

But hey, lets fault the players for supposedly under-tossing by a fraction of an inch instead!

Ugh...

If the ref were sitting behind the receiver, he would fault the serve. But the fact is the refs, both of them, sitting on the side where one of them could see the ball at contact with no problem.

Maybe, ITTF should ban hook serve as a good hook serve technically needs the ball to drop to very close to the body and combined with a sudden body crouching motion to keep the ball spinning and low trajectory.

LSD has a deadly hook serve, spinning, fast and deceiving. He usually switches to hook serve only in critical moments perhaps to reduce the rick of being faulted.

 

[M51]

If the ref were sitting behind the receiver, he would fault the serve. But the fact is the refs, both of them, sitting on the side where one of them could see the ball at contact with no problem.

Both umpires can, however, see quite clearly that Lin Shidong (stop calling him LSD for crying out lout) had not removed his free hand from the space between the ball and the net upon tossing the ball.

I see this quite often. It's almost as if the officials are free to chose which of the rules apply in a given moment and which don't. It's a freaking madhouse out there.

 

[backspacer]

The problem is that most men start with a fully stretched arm or close to when the ball rests in their palm so you have to throw the ball into your body to hit it. Women don't do that with the hook serve and it's clean as a result unless you maybe hide the contact point with your head.

 

[Metaxa]

Let's see...

(2.6.4.) From the start of service until it is struck, the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server's end line, and it shall not be hidden from the receiver by the server or his or her doubles partner or by anything they wear or carry.

(2.6.5.) As soon as the ball has been projected, the server’s free arm and hand shall be removed from the space between the ball and the net.

Behind the baseline! Like sóoooooooo many others players, I don't think so!😂
Serving like this means...biiiiiiiiiiig/huge profit!
Umpires => 😶👻

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

We need an official 3rd party body that examines and audit umpires,

 

[igorponger]

"NOT CLEAR" SERVE SHOULD BE PENALIZED WITH AN IRON HAND.

Если кто не знает, судья имеет право штрафануть любую сомнительную подачу. Например, подброс 18--20 см практически нельзя отличить от подброса 16 см. Это суть "сомнительная подача" и есть такие смелые и добросоаестные судьи кто сразу банит такую подачу без разговоров.

Спортсмены всегда обижаютца и возмущаютца когда судья штрафует сомнительную подачу, а нафик ты подаёшь на грани фола? Сам виноват, читай правила 2.6.6.1


ITTF RULES 2.6 A GOOD SERVICE
2.6.6 It is the responsibility of the player to serve so that the umpire or the assistant umpire can be satisfied that he or she complies with the requirements of the Laws, and either may decide that a service is incorrect.
2.6.6.1 If either the umpire or the assistant umpire is not sure about the legality of a service he or she may, on the first occasion in a match, interrupt play and warn the server; but any subsequent service by that player or his or her doubles partner which is not clearly legal shall be considered incorrect.

The rule 2.6.6.1 states explicitly
-- Any Serve of doubtful legality shall be penalized without least hesitation.