WTT Contender Muscat-2025 - 11-17 Jan 2025

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WTT Contender Muscat 2025 WS R16

 

[FIXPOINT]

WTT Contender Muscat 2025 MS R16

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

 

[Dr Evil]

Great win for Kuo. Terrible start to the year for Xiang.

 

[d3nium]

I can't see anything other than another title for Harimoto.

 

[zeio]

Bad news for Matsushima in terms of progress. XP can lose to anyone now. Not a good indicator to use for assessment.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I can't see anything other than another title for Harimoto.

the era of non Chinese is probably closer than we think.

Singapore Smash will be very interesting with WCQ, LSD and LJK the seeds, and then next is XP, ZQH, XF completing the roster.
other than WCQ and LSD being 1 and 2 seed, LJK at 5 could face one of them in QF. Very tough for all CNT SF.
I don't think CNT mens has been so shallow ever for a major event. Needs the young ones to step up

women's is stronger with SYS, WMY, WYD, CXT, taking up the top 4 seeds, so they will be avoiding each other until later in the draw and all 4 CNT SF is still possible.
then QTY, HZJ to complete the roster.

 

[turbozed]

Who is this Hochart girl and why is she so good at doubles?

Beating a Chinese pair in WD, and then beating WCT/DHK pair in XD. She was carrying Poret at certain points in that match too.

Lot of French talent these days it's hard to keep up.

 

[yamagata]

Have Chinese kids become lazy?

 

[zeio]

Have Chinese kids become lazy?

Busy, rather, with social media and material life.

Life in mainland China has gotten so much better in the past 2 decades and even better than the West in certain aspects. Japanese coaches have also attributed to that as the reason for the dip in level.

p.s.
Comment by ISHIDA Mayuki from 2019, father of Hayata's former cocach Ishida Daisuke and owner of Ishida Table Tennis Club.

なぜ中国は卓球が強いのか？＜Vol3.石田眞行（石田卓球クラブ）＞
https://rallys.online/person/player-voice/china03/

――中国の若手が育っていないということでしょうか、その原因は？
石田：やっぱり国民が裕福になったからでしょう。裕福になると卓球で勝たなくても食える。

昔は世界チャンピオンになれば、すごい生活が出来るし、テレビにも出るし、タレントにもなれる。中国の卓球のチャンピオンは日本でいう長嶋、王のような存在だったんですよね。

--Does this mean that young Chinese players aren't developing? What's the reason?
Ishida: I think it's because the people have become wealthy. When you become wealthy, you can make a living even if you don't win at table tennis.

In the past, if you became a World Champion, you could live a great life, appear on TV, and become a celebrity. Chinese table tennis champions were like Nagashima [likely referring to the baseball player] or the King in Japan.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Odo/Yokoi beat KM/CY in a 3-2,11-9 thriller. It was a QF match but may as well have been the Finals because no one else is gonna stop Odo/Yokoi from yet another WD title.

 

[AutomaticBackhand]

Dima lost 1-3 to young Chen Yuanyu.

Sad to see as a Dima fan.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Dima lost 1-3 to young Chen Yuanyu.

Sad to see as a Dima fan.

Dima is ill. So hard luck there

 

[piligrim]

Dima is ill. So hard luck there

Maybe tired. He just 2 days ago had game in Bundesliga

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Have Chinese kids become lazy?

While wealth has a role, some of China's strongest players come from wealthy families - like Chen Meng.
in Taiwan, LYJ and Feng for example have wealthy parents too (not to the extent like CM)

So wealth can't be the excuse - but that is one of the reason why the influx of kids going into sport schools (all sports) has decreased in China.
Before, rural house holds will send kids to sports schools, because that is a roof and 3 meals.

Even though the numbers in sports schools has reduced, China has a huge sport school tt population and still feeding up in volume. But the quality has dropped.
So CNT has made the C team to solve this problem.
It may take another 5 years to see if C team succeed or not.

But overall, it is a sign that the current depth is weak and it is difficult to maybe CNT's high status. The players responsibilities, pressure and the toxic environment does affect players minds.

I just feel, CNT's players need more exposure. They need more league participation. But the disadvantage of that is, foreign players will get used to them more.

So... difficult job for CNT bosses.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Maybe tired. He just 2 days ago had game in Bundesliga

yep,
Flew straight into the match.
But he didn't look in great shape 2 days ago in that league match.

get well soon Dima

 

[jfolsen]

Miu Hirano in some trouble against Yangzi Liu.

 

[quanghuysk]

Can anyone give me T-league schedule? Does Miu Hirano rush to go back home to play league or what? unbelievable performance

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

Can anyone give me T-league schedule? Does Miu Hirano rush to go back home to play league or what? unbelievable performance

i remember watching a bit that Australian player LIU Yangzi recently for the first time against i can't remember whom, but i remember she was playing really very well, whereas i was expecting a poor level. Given Hirano's injury and focus on Zennihon i'm only semi surprised of this result.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

First round exit to SXY in Doha is understandable, but Hirano did not play like the potential T-League MVP that she had been showing prior to Doha. To be fair though, Yangzi Liu has shown flashes playing a really close match with Miwa not that long ago. But when you're trying to get back into top 3 Japanese ranking wise, this is a very poor outcome for her. Hope she can pull it together for the Empress Cup.