WTT London Star Contender - October 2025

[zeio]

WS R16
Batra 3-1 SXY (6, 4, -8, 9)

Makes one wonder how SXY managed 3W0L over KKY in Jia A.

 

[NextLevel]

Qin Yuxuan has looked toothless against defense in her previous matches. I don't think she's gonna beat Hashimoto tomorrow, but taking 2 games will be a success story in its own right.
I also think Shi Xunyao has to pass this"high school exam", the tailwinds that's propelled up the rankings in recent months are losing steam already.

Epic fail.

 

[PoppaChubby]

France should carefully choose who should partner Leanna Hochart, the only French lefty that comes to mind

Prithika Pavade ? Sorry but Leana is not near Pavade's level for now, when a new pair enters a competition, they're first seeded according to their individual rankings, and have to pass the qualifications draw, as Flavien and Charlotte had to do. Anyways, and this is what zeio once said when I asked him: it's way better to have a lefty male in a XD pair than a lefty female.

EDIT: to prove my point
Secretin - Bergeret XD world champions in 1977 . Secrétin was a lefty male.
Gatien - Xiao Ming Wang-Dréchou XD european champions in 1990 . Gatien lefty male
Lebesson - Jianan Yuan XD european champions in 2022. Manu is a lefty male. They were also semi-finalists in the Tokyo Olympics, but lost to Lin Yun-Ju/Cheng I-Ching for the bronze medal, another lefty male with that Taïwan XD pair.

 

[NextLevel]

Civil war extraordinaire...

 

[zeio]

WS R16
Harimoto (1) 3-2 Hirano (13) (-7, 5, -9, 1, 5)
G3 42, 44, 64, 65 TO for Harimoto, 66, 96, 911
G4 40, 41, 111
G5 30, 32, 42, 44, 74 TO for Hirano, 84 big net for Harimoto, 94, 95, 115 Hirano killed herself
Hirano called the TO so late...

 

[PoppaChubby]

Oh well. At least Togami beats Darko on good days too... otherwise this was all we would be hearing about... Karlsson is simply a beast...

I've said last week and months before that Jorgic is an overrated player, if Slovenia would have faced a Truls-amputed Sweden in the quarter final of ETTTC last week, Darko would have lost at least one match, or even two matches. Romania proved in the semis I was right.

This guy is at best a top 30 player, not more.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Ngl, I did not have ZJ beating Mima Ito on my bingo card. And now an impressive 3-1 win over DHK.

 

[zeio]

WS R16
Kihara (11) 2-3 Nagasaki (7)(WC) (9, 10, -8, -4, -10)
One less threat for Hashimoto...

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Two hard fought civil war battles with Miwa Harimoto and Miyu Nagasaki coming out the victors.

 

[NextLevel]

I've said last week and months before that Jorgic is an overrated player, if Slovenia would have faced a Truls-amputed Sweden in the quarter final of ETTTC last week, Darko would have lost at least one match, or even two matches. Romania proved in the semis I was right.

This guy is at best a top 30 player, not more.

That's a pretty strong opinion on a many time European top 12 champion. 2021 Olympics QF as well. His game has limitations in finding the forehand pivot but he is a strong player, he has beaten Truls fairly consistently.

 

[NextLevel]

Harimoto still afraid to back up and take big shots against a lower ranked player - this is interesting...

 

[zeio]

MS R16
Uda 0-3 Redzimski (-8, -7, -7)
The KOR Uda I know is back. Played like crap.

 

[NextLevel]

Milos 3- 0 Yukiya. A reminder that big forehand is not useful when your opponent makes it harder for you to use it and your energy level is low.

 

[zeio]

Harimoto lost his cool after 2:6 of G4 and turned into the Lebrun brothers for a split second... LOL

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

LOL... Tomo tried to pull off the Anton Kallberg fake smash at 2-2,10-2, but failed.

 

[zeio]

WS R16
SYB (5) 0-3 CIC (9) (-9, -7, -4)
Good-for-doubles SYB, no doubt.

 

[Nakira]

Still thinking about the Stephane Ouaiche case, very promising lefty team France just considered like sh*t because he never grew in the federal system imposed by the FFTT. Now he plays for Algeria. Quite a mess considering he was younger than Manu so he could have filled the gap in XD with Jianan.

Ouaiche has a weird personality. Extremely self centered, I don't see him performing well in team or double.
In addition, he likes too much Poker (which is the same than gambling) and money.

 

[vvk1]

View attachment 38702

Harimoto alone in the training hall, amazing to watch him

Harimoto takes warm up more seriously than anyone else. He stretched for almost half an hour this morning before picking up the bat and was the last to leave training hall, did drills literally till a couple of minutes before his match

 

[zeio]

WS R16
Batra 3-1 SXY (6, 4, -8, 9)

Makes one wonder how SXY managed 3W0L over KKY in Jia A.

巴特拉回春，击败石洵瑶 (Second spring for Batra, beating Shi Xunyao)
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/10157209782
柯 之前打国乒屡战屡败，多次一轮游，没想到这次巴特拉打的还不错呀。
IP属地:湖南来自Android客户端1楼2025-10-25 18:47回复
(Defeated repeatedly by CNT before, and 1st round exits many times. I didn’t expect that Batra played decently this time)

柯 这个石洵瑶是怎么回事啊？我感觉一直在推他上，他一直接不住机会的。
IP属地:湖南来自Android客户端2楼2025-10-25 18:48收起回复
(What's going on with Shi Xunyao? I feel like they're constantly pushing her forward, and yet she's never been able to seize any opportunities.)
天高云不淡: 石就是小号王艺迪，对手稍微变着就苦战，多变变就打不过了
2025-10-25 19:32回复
(Shi is the Little Wang Yidi. If the opponent varies a little, it'll become a hard fight. More variations and she can't win)

慢嗨梁祝 这几次单给她报挑战赛刷分都想不到她能输谁。。。输袁嘉楠输木原输大藤输横井输巴特拉
IP属地:河北来自Android客户端3楼2025-10-25 18:49收起回复
(For the last few times they signed her up for WTT CT to boost her ranking, I couldn't imagine who she could lose to... Yuan Jianan, Kihara, Odo, Yokoi, Batra)
柯: 每次都输的出人意料，这是硬推硬抬都抬不上的狠人。
2025-10-25 18:56回复
(Every loss was unexpected. This is a tough gal who can't be pushed or lifted.)
金娜英（练球中）: 她应该是今年报比赛最多的选手了吧？
2025-10-25 18:59回复
(She should be the player who signed up for the most tournaments this year, right?)
柯: 回复 金娜英（练球中） :差不多了吧，反正教练组为了他的排名没少操心的感觉。
2025-10-25 19:02回复
(That's about right. It seems the coaching staff have really poured their hearts out over her ranking.)
冯天薇（世冠版）: 袁嘉楠是今年6月那次常挑吗
2025-10-25 19:06回复
(Was Yuan Jianan at the WTT CT in June this year?)
慢嗨梁祝: 回复 冯天薇（世冠版） :大藤是萨格勒布，袁嘉楠是北马其顿
2025-10-25 19:07回复
(Odo was Zagreb, Yuan Jianan was North Macedonia)
我是清白的: 我滴妈 连爆姐搭档都能输
2025-10-25 19:39回复
(Oh my mother, even losing to the [WD] partner of Explosive Sister [Odo])
慢嗨梁祝: 回复 我是清白的 :还是0：3输的
2025-10-25 19:40回复
(And losing 0-3)
超七: 回复 柯 :基本都是特殊打法呀，她看不懂旋转
2025-10-25 19:43回复
(Basically, they all have unique playing styles. She can't read the spin)
Mreelonde: 还有韩朱
2025-10-25 21:45回复
(Also, KOR Zhu [Joo Cheonhui])

 

[NextLevel]

Battle of lefties or choing coaches? You decide.