WTT London Star Contender - October 2025

[Angerer]

Credit to LYJ but Sora once again proves his mental game stinks

He is still young, and his mental game will improve.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Huge comeback win for Hina. With Odo's Montpellier points expiring from last year, Hina's win catapults her into 4th highest ranked Japanese woman after Miwa, Mima, and Honoka. She's in great shape ranking wise as she has Champions Montpellier and Frankfurt coming up.

 

[Janard]

Getting my popcorn ready for a Miwa vs Hayata finals, but from memory Miwa has a losing record.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Getting my popcorn ready for a Miwa vs Hayata finals, but from memory Miwa has a losing record.

 

[shmek]

I am faintly hoping for Honoka to turn the tables on Miwa. Not sure what it is based on. Just hope, I guess.

Or maybe I find her more mature, intelligent and able to come up with some good game plan.

 

[NextLevel]

Huge comeback win for Hina. With Odo's Montpellier points expiring from last year, Hina's win catapults her into 4th highest ranked Japanese woman after Miwa, Mima, and Honoka. She's in great shape ranking wise as she has Champions Montpellier and Frankfurt coming up.

I know this may annoy some people but why does "dumbness" do so well? Is it because it is a prerogative of fandom to be abusive towards players performing under the fastest and highest pressure conditions? Or are the players really "dumb"? Nameless anonymity encourages ridiculous statements.

 

[shmek]

I am faintly hoping for Honoka to turn the tables on Miwa. Not sure what it is based on. Just hope, I guess.

Or maybe I find her more mature, intelligent and able to come up with some good game plan.

That said, Miwa is drilled to the core…

 

[NextLevel]

I am faintly hoping for Honoka to turn the tables on Miwa. Not sure what it is based on. Just hope, I guess.

Or maybe I find her more mature, intelligent and able to come up with some good game plan.

Unfortunately, Honoka is a chopper and a chopper is a chopper, no matter how much ability they have. If the attacker is more consistent and able to hit the right shots, the chopper is always on the back foot. Of course the attacker being able to do this is the open question. But Miwa's game looks headed in that direction.

 

[shmek]

Unfortunately, Honoka is a chopper and a chopper is a chopper, no matter how much ability they have. If the attacker is more consistent and able to hit the right shots, the chopper is always on the back foot. Of course the attacker being able to do this is the open question. But Miwa's game looks headed in that direction.

I would debate her being just 'a chopper', but I know you don't mean it in the most extreme sense, so it is no use. I am still entitled to my hope, though, right?

 

[NextLevel]

I would debate her being just 'a chopper', but I know you don't mean it in the most extreme sense, so it is no use. I am still entitled to my hope, though, right?

Always entitled. I used to hope for it too just to keep diversity in the game. But this new ball... well it probably helps the choppers stay in rallies but it doesn’t do much other than that.

 

[NextLevel]

Its interesting how the expedite has affected Miwa. She is playing the same way on both her serve points and on Honoka's serve points. It will be interesting if this mindset change gets it done. No coach to remind her of the nuance.

 

[shmek]

Its interesting how the expedite has affected Miwa. She is playing the same way on both her serve points and on Honoka's serve points. It will be interesting if this mindset change gets it done. No coach to remind her of the nuance.

This may be due to the couple of points Honoka won of her attacks. I have the impression these get blown out of proportion in the mind of the attacker.

 

[NextLevel]

Well Miwa's quality and selection of attack and placement went way up in the 4th game. Probably a combination of that and expedite pressure on Honoka made it moot. But like I said, these are the limitations of choppers when they play consistent attackers. The Harimoto siblings have an amazing eye for spin. It is insanely impressive.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Love seeing the success that Honoka has had this year. But she's got some huge blocks in her path in the form of Mima Ito, Satsuki Odo, Miwa Harimoto, and to a lesser degree Hina. She's going to have to go back to the drawing board and devise additional ways to attack.

 

[NextLevel]

When Qiu Dang walked into the court, I couldn't recognize him because he was not wearing his headband lol.

 

[NextLevel]

Love seeing the success that Honoka has had this year. But she's got some huge blocks in her path in the form of Mima Ito, Satsuki Odo, Miwa Harimoto, and to a lesser degree Hina. She's going to have to go back to the drawing board and devise additional ways to attack.

Good luck with that. Its ultimately the bane of chopping, the equipment you use to play that way comes with its own limitations for doing other things.

 

[TampaBayTableTennis]

nice turnaround after G1 in this SF.

 

[NextLevel]

nice turnaround after G1 in this SF.

You could tell who had experience playing at that level and who didn't. But it's about time Milos levelled up, his contemporaries are Sora and Felix, and he was beating Boll before them lol.

 

[NextLevel]

Harimoto needs to play better or all we will hear is about how the dumb players are holding back the JNT with their dumb way of winning matches...

 

[NextLevel]

I also forgot to mention that given the way Hayata is playing, her wrist should be amputated by now according to the experts - just saying.