WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 (10 Nov - 15 Nov 2026)

[J-fed]

16-year-old Yuta Ito defeated Sora 3–1 yesterday in the T.League. Remember his name, because he could easily reach Sora's level in three years. Alongside Yuta, Japan has several wonderkids coming through the ranks, like Kawakami. The future looks very bright for Japanese table tennis.

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The culture is just so good for it. Especially now. There has been a drop off in overbearing pressure to pursue a sport, so young people are discovering their own true motivation and not burning out.
Of course not perfect but the dedication, technical excellence and individual motivation are starting to intersect. There are clear and traceable reasons for it.
It might also occur in tennis if they practiced on different courts but they insist on astroturf. It can't go well.
Soccer is also not so straightforward imo. due to the continuing over training.

 

[NetProphet]

2026/4/11, @NetProphet
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...rld-cup-macao-2026-3-30-4-5.38996/post-571379

2026/6/18
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...r-ljubljana-2026-june-16-21.39552/post-579542

You've lost me here @zeio
Are you still saying that Sora is only successful because JNT gave him more matches and training than other players?
And talent has nothing to do with it?

Is this why LSD is still the WR#1 because of all the attention he got after Ma Long and FZDs retirement?
Oh wait....
Or is it not incredibly strange that other CNT players such as WRB and ZQH are (based on expectations) having better seasons?

But seriously, I don't pretend or assume to know more than you, so what actually is your point about Sora?

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

FANG Bo the resurrection

 

[JackJohnson]

Who’s Kang Dongsoo coach? Does not look Korean

 

[Oliverpool]

FANG Bo the resurrection

So he should retire while on top and concentrate on his coaching channel!

 

[zeio]

View attachment 44200
Lol ??

What, 0-3? 4 WD titles (first 3 in a row) in 2026?

2024/3/11
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/wtt-singapore-smash-2024-3-7-3-17.33147/post-447243

Hirano gives the false impression that she is poor in WD and XD when she is actually good... and most if not all her other teammates lack that ability, so Hirano is left without a lot of compatible players to pair...

 

[NextLevel]

After this match will
1) the stocks of former CNT players be up and the stocks of choppers be down
or
2) we will be able to split the difference between men and women?

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

I found this argument / question in YT comment and I think it may merit some further discussion:
1. Why does Z03 FH seems to work for FB

but

2. It was a disaster for FZD? FZD went back to become Booster-Bro(tm) immediately.

I mean both are H3 boosted FH user prior.

 

[zeio]

I found this argument / question in YT comment and I think it may merit some further discussion:
1. Why does Z03 FH seems to work for FB

but

2. It was a disaster for FZD? FZD went back to become Booster-Bro(tm) immediately.

I mean both are H3 boosted FH user prior.

FB said he is too old to loop with H3 now. OTOH, HS thinks FB will play worse with Z03 and eventually switch back.

 

[kindof99]

FB said he is too old to loop with H3 now. OTOH, HS thinks FB will play worse with Z03 and eventually switch back.

Who is HS?

 

[kindof99]

I found this argument / question in YT comment and I think it may merit some further discussion:
1. Why does Z03 FH seems to work for FB

but

2. It was a disaster for FZD? FZD went back to become Booster-Bro(tm) immediately.

I mean both are H3 boosted FH user prior.

FB trained a whole month with z03 and had no pressure doing so. FZD probably only tried a session or two with it.

 

[zeio]

Who is HS?

Hao Shuai.

 

[kindof99]

Who’s Kang Dongsoo coach? Does not look Korean

No coach? That was FB’s coach, Li lianghu.

 

[kindof99]

Hao Shuai.

Ok. I remember watching that video, but that was before FB’s performance in this event.

 

[zeio]

Ok. I remember watching that video, but that was before FB’s performance in this event.

We will see if the switch to Z03 is beginner's luck for FB since Joola table is used here.

 

[JackJohnson]

No coach? That was FB’s coach, Li lianghu.

Guy in the black jacket was coaching Kang Dongsoo the whole match? Anyone know who he is.

 

[NextLevel]

I found this argument / question in YT comment and I think it may merit some further discussion:
1. Why does Z03 FH seems to work for FB

but

2. It was a disaster for FZD? FZD went back to become Booster-Bro(tm) immediately.

I mean both are H3 boosted FH user prior.

The truth is that with Z03 you just have to adjust. Fang Bo has made the hardest adjustment a player has to make with Z03 (beating a chopper). I wonder whether @Matt Hetherington has any information on the tables for this event since he did redesign the tables but that said FZD struggled on Tibhar tables and Ricardo Walther, who professed to playing best on grippy and spinny tables and liked the tables at the US Smash, played well here.

Adjustment is often mental, you can play objectively well with something and not like the feel of it. Many Z03 users like H3 and Fang Bo will likely end up being one of them though if he continues tondace better opposition and gets more fitness, anything can happen. Franziska is play witj Z03 on forehand and has one of the best short games in the world. Give that some thought.

 

[J-fed]

Adjustment is often mental, you can play objectively well with something and not like the feel of it.

Excellent comment.

 

[kindof99]

Was FB's draw a little lucky as well? If he met with HYZ or CYY, I think he might have lost. Anyway, pretty impressed for a veteran player.

Hope he will keep doing well in the coming tournaments and his QSB can produce better videos.

 

[zeio]

WS F
Hashimoto (1) WR14 4-1 JCH WR17 (2) (9, 9, -7, 3, 1)
JCH is still poor at playing choppers. Winning 4-3 the second last time at WTT CS Montpellier 2025 was likely due to Hashimoto's health issue from long-distance travel.

CNT: Hayata for LA28!

Hashimtoo 2 H2H 1 JCH
https://results.ittf.link/index.php/head-to-head?pid1=133000&pid2=200413

2023/12/15
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/wtt-finals-women-nagoya-2023.32504/post-435570

HY 0-1 -> 1-2 -> 3-2 Joo Cheonhui
G5 77, 107, 108, 118
Best chance for Joo to win here. HY will not be caught off-guard next time. She played safe and didn't attack as much so either she is off or she thought it was an easy ride like last time but she still recovered regardless, which is a testament to her level.

2024/10/4
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/china-smash-2024-beijing-9-26-10-6.33455/post-482920

Joo Cheonhui is better than SYB when it comes to CNT players, having pushed SYS and WMY to the final game, twice for the latter. As I noted over at MyTT, her problem has been choppers and combination players, against which SYB still has trouble handling.

2025/11/1
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...montpellier-2025-10-28-11-2.38204/post-548274

JCH is poor against choppers and lost 1-3 (-6, -2, 11, -6) in their first-ever international encounter at WTT SCT Chennai 2025.

Ito, Hayata and Odo exiting in R32 is already the best outcome for her skipping Frankfurt. Reaching the SF is bonus.