WTT CONTENDER TAIYUAN 2025

[Shine]

I noticed that this tournament is starting in a week, and there was no thread available, so I decided to open one.
Lots of interesting players showing up at this event, Most of the second string Chinese and Japanese players will be playing. I think it promises to be an exciting event.

World Table Tennis

worldtabletennis.com

 

[NetProphet]

I noticed that this tournament is starting in a week, and there was no thread available, so I decided to open one.
Lots of interesting players showing up at this event, Most of the second string Chinese and Japanese players will be playing. I think it promises to be an exciting event.

World Table Tennis

worldtabletennis.com

You're absolutely right man.
I hadn't looked at that event at all yet but a very interesting lineup and a great chance to see some of these exciting lower ranked players without the big boys and girls there to spoil their party! 😁

 

[GAOdp]

WTT Contender Taiyuan-2025 - is the third table tennis tournament of the series in 2025 WTT Contender Series (and the second level tournament WTT Contenders), held at the Taiyuan Binhe Sports Center, 1 Yifen Jie (漪汾街), Wanbailin District, Taiyuan, China. WTT Contender Taiyuan-2025 is held Chinese Table Tennis Association under patronage of World Table Tennis (WTT) from April 7 to April 13, 2025.

The prize money for the medalists in the tournament was $100,000.

Tournament qualification
Top 20 Participation Restrictions
Singles events

• A maximum of three (3) players will be permitted to participate if players are inside the Top 20 of the ITTF TTWR, at the time of the entry deadline.

National Entry Restriction (NER)
Singles events

• Each Member Association shall be allowed a maximum of four (4) players per event excluding the WTT nomination. The restriction is applied across both the Main Draw and Qualifying competition, to provide for a maximum total of four (4) players in any combination (i.e., 2 Qualifying / 2 Main Draw or 1 Qualifying / 3 Main Draw).

Doubles events

• Each Member Association shall be allowed a maximum of eight (8) players per event with a maximum three (3) full pairs consisting of players from the same Member Association (i.e., 3 CZE/CZE, 1 CZE/SWE, 1 CZE/GER).

Mixed Doubles events

• Each Member Association shall be allowed a maximum of four (4) players per event in any pairing combination.

The Host is permitted to use its wildcards to nominate additional players from any Member Association and/or pairs in any combination outside of the NER limit.

Wildcards

• The host is entitled to the following Wildcards: three (3) players for the Singles Main Draw and two (2) pairs for the Doubles and Mixed Doubles Main Draw.
• The host is entitled to the following Wildcards: twelve (12) players for the Singles Qualifying Draw and two (2) pairs for the Doubles
• Any unused Wildcards/Nominations will be returned to the direct entries.

 

[joshmak10]

Let’s see if Xiang Peng can follow up his incheon win with a Taiyuan win as well, though I feel he could be burned out and knocked out early. My money is for Wen Ruibo to win the tournament.

 

[Shine]

Let’s see if Xiang Peng can follow up his incheon win with a Taiyuan win as well, though I feel he could be burned out and knocked out early. My money is for Wen Ruibo to win the tournament.

Can't really say I've seen Ruibo much on the senior stage cos that'd be lying. But I think his game lacks the grit needed against the top 50 players as at the last time I saw him. Not sure he'd have improved much with the lack of playing time. Looking forward to how he performs but I wouldn't place my hope in him yet.
I think the Japanese 2nd tier players are the ones to look out for. I expect them to give XP and ZQH a run for their money.

 

[joshmak10]

Can't really say I've seen Ruibo much on the senior stage cos that'd be lying. But I think his game lacks the grit needed against the top 50 players as at the last time I saw him. Not sure he'd have improved much with the lack of playing time. Looking forward to how he performs but I wouldn't place my hope in him yet.
I think the Japanese 2nd tier players are the ones to look out for. I expect them to give XP and ZQH a run for their money.

It’s true he hasn’t gotten much senior experience but he has done reasonably well in the ones he has competed in, making a final in Muscat last season and mostly only losing to teammates. I wouldn’t be surprised if he finally makes a jump to win considering theres no LSD in his way like in Muscat

 

[FIXPOINT]

WTT Contender Taiyuan 2025 WS

Japanese version​

 

[FIXPOINT]

WTT Contender Taiyuan 2025 MS

Japanese version​

 

[FIXPOINT]

WTT Contender Taiyuan 2025 WD

Japanese version​

 

[FIXPOINT]

WTT Contender Taiyuan 2025 MD

Japanese version​

 

[FIXPOINT]

WTT Contender Taiyuan 2025 XD

Japanese version​

 

[driversbeat]

Li Jie comes out of hiding to sweep KNT Team B(C?)
Wonder if she's planning on playing regularly. Eerland really needs a good teammate.

 

[zeio]

Doesn't bold well once you account for their age, and the next wave has its own struggle...

LI Jie 1984-03-06

YANG Ha Eun 1994-02-25
LEE Eunhye 1995-05-02
LEE Zion 1996-05-27
KIM Haeun 1997-04-11
YOO Siwoo 2001-12-14
RYU Hanna 2002-04-20
LEE Daeun 2002-12-30
KIM Nayeong 2005-10-01
PARK Gahyeon 2007-08-18

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...ender-bangkok-2024-july-2-7.34377/post-466806

KOR is no longer the team from 2004 and 2008. They don't produce choppers like they used to and hence don't play choppers as well now. Remember KOR lost to GER at Tokyo 2020 and SYB, their best hope, was the culprit. Like I touched on last month, JPN is now better than CHN (and likely the best) at playing defenders (and combination players in general), which is another reason why Hirano's subsequent loss to Pavade was insignificant in comparison. Bergstrom, SHW and HY are the pot stirrers. But without SHW and HY, KOR and GER will be a lot weaker at Paris 2024, a lame duck for the latter especially.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...s-2024-helsingborg-11-22-29.35915/post-494499

Didn't expect KOR to be in this much trouble against HKG in QF of U15 GT.

https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024_47_YOU_WS.html
WR
Choi Seyeon: 2
Heo Yerim: 5
Lee Dahye: 17

Su Tsz Tung: 9
Mak Ming Shum: 23
Yuen Sum Lok: 64

p.s. KOR 1-3 HKG

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/wtt-star-contender-chennai-2025.36921/post-515987

As if Annett Kaufmann didn't win WYC 2024. And Mia Griesel (WR59) beat Yoo Yerin (WR3). Just because KOR beat TPE and TPE beat GER, then KOR >> GER? KOR even had a difficult time against HKG in both U19 GT (3-1 in match score and 3-2 in M4) and U15 GT (1-3).

 

[backspacer]

Why are they doing the group thing and not the usual qualifiers?

 

[zeio]

Why are they doing the group thing and not the usual qualifiers?

A new thing for WTT Contender in 2025. Up until 2024, group format was available for WTT Feeder Series only.

https://wttwebcmsprod.blob.core.win...TT_Series & Feeder_Handbook_2025_20250227.pdf

1.1.5 WTT Contender
a. Men’s and Women’s Singles:

...

Qualifying – The EO may select either up to 64 player Group Competition or up to 128 player Elimination
Knockout.
• Top 56 or 120 players (Direct Entry) based on the ITTF TTWR for singles events at the entry
deadline.
• Eight (8) Host Wildcard players.

...

Provisional for 2025:
In case an EO cannot accommodate due to overall Event capacity the maximum draw sizes in Singles
Qualifying the following will be possible:
Qualifying – Knock out of 64 / 96
• 56 / 88 players (Direct Entry) based on the ITTF TTWR for singles events at the entry deadline.
• 8 Host Wildcard players.

Qualifying – Group Competition 48
• 40 players (Direct Entry) based on the ITTF TTWR for singles events at the entry deadline.
• 8 Host Wildcard players.

1.1.6 System of play
The single knock-out elimination system shall be used in all WTT Series events in both Main Draw and
Qualifying (where applicable), except for the WTT Finals Mixed Doubles first stage and the WTT Contender
Singles Qualifying which may be played as a Group Competition. Details regarding the number of rounds per
sub-event are noted in the Draw sizes section (3.1 Draw size).

...

 

[Tyce]

Li Jie wow, I did not expect to see that name... She's from the same year as me lol. Maybe she's going for a Trinko Keen and get a national title in her 50s

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Great match between Kazuki Hamada and Xue Fei. Close throughout and tied at 2-2,8-8 Hamada with the serve played aggressively to get 10-8. Missed a loop on Xue Fei's serve, but didn't let that stop him from being aggressive while under pressure to take the match 3-2,11-9. Very good mental game.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Sakura Yokoi 3-2 over Xu Yi of China. Mentally tough, down 2-1 and under huge pressure in game 4, she holds on to force a decider. Then, in the decider, she showed everything, BH down the line, loop kills Xu Yi's serve, hit to the wide forehand and block to the backhand leaving Xu Yi flat-footed. Amazing win for Sakura!

 

[piligrim]

Why are they doing the group thing and not the usual qualifiers?

This way they play more matches

 

[joshmak10]

Good win for WRB over SY. I think both players played well but in the end WRB’s power just overwhelmed SY.