WTT Singapore Smash 2024 3/7-3/17
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Gosh, there are indeed many who serve on their corner of a table but those whose both upper legs are on the side can be so listed. Top No1 in this is Lim JH, followed by Wang SQ. Lin YJ has also moved up a bit over the years. Where he used to serve from the corner of the table, he now also stands with only his left leg behind the baseline. All the rest (R leg + crotch) are on the side. It always has only one goal, playing with illegality, narrowing the playing field a win via their third ball. In the case of Lim JH, you can be sure that this has been instructed by his coach and is therefore frequently trained on.
I did find it funny that on Wang's first serve in the final, a warning was immediately given by the umpire for not throwing the ball straight up, which is thus a direct result of his positioning on the side of the table. Ban that and we will go a long way with legal services.
Now, those who try to get in front of the ball with their head are some of them, Wang, Ma, Timo (his throwing hand is always high when the ball leaves his hand), etc...but...the angle of the camera never gives an exact picture of what their opponent should see or actually sees. As an opponent, you're already slightly bent anyway and are usually in a low position, so the point of contact on a serve should already be quite high where you usually keep the point of contact low.
I think I have already written it once, should there be eye sensors with alarms at the extension of a table's baseline, it would work overtime. High time we went down that road!
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WCQ was on a completely different level this tournament from everyone he faced.
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It was really amazing, the final confirmed it because Liang brought back balls that his other opponents could not bring back and Wang brought them back with interest. I still am a bit shocked by what I just saw. Yesterday, Anders LInd was saying in WTT youtube comments that this is the highest level of table tennis he has ever seen anyone achieve. We really need Fan Zhendong to get healthy again.
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Maybe this explains why FZD seemed out of form.
WCQ really deserves to be #1. LJK beat a few really good players on the way, but he struggled to make the finals. WCQ showed that he is a full level above LJK. Also WCQ actually plays the right way, stepping in and out, stepping around, attempting to win short points.
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Not only that. WCQ is just rising really fast.
I’ve said this many times. The rapid rise of WCQ resembles the rapid rise of ZJK, robbing Wang Hao’s last chance of Olympic gold.
This might happen to FZD
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Sad finals actually. There are a few who are acting/performing at lonely heights.
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Taking inventory of this tournament as a whole, Qiu Dang. Liang Jingkun, Cho Daesong and Timo Boll are the big winners by the eye test. Achanta was a big winner but I think his win won't affect as much as the others. Lin Yun Ju. Harimoto and Felix Lebrun stayed fairly level and took what the draw gave them. Fan Zhendong, Lim Junghoon, Darko Jorgic, Calderano and Ma Long were big losers. Franziska was a winner of sorts as he at least made it harder for Boll to overtake him if this comes down to ranking.
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Yes, how would you describe WCQ's game/style? I feel he is very fluid and flowing. He transitions from push shot to loop shot, bh to fh, square shot to pivot shot very smoothly. His serve and receive seem very good. He seems to read the game very naturally, and every rally seems to be according to his own rhythm and music. LJK was actually lucking to get to 1-4, it could've easily been 0-4. Just watching their rallies seemed like WCQ got everything he wanted. It kinda reminded me of Terence Crawford vs Errol Spence.
FZD is more fast and furious and athletic style.
Almost like a Federer vs Nadal situation.
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Since I didn't discuss women, better to give them their category. WMY didn't change anything for me, but I agree that beating those pipa players was important.
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I thought Wang was "weak in the stability of topspin rallies" lol, so even Wang can prevail amazingly against a very good counter looper. Liang received decently and still couldn't find answers to that forehand and the long push to his middle. More and more, it feels like the result of a match depends on if WCQ comes with his bazooka or a poorly sawn off shotgun.
Completely different level in the last three individual tournaments. But this one was absolutely crazy.
Wang's brilliant backhand didn't even do a lot today, mostly just quick redirections and changing the rhythm, the forehand was ready to prance on anything; actually reminded me of Ma Long's style with Ma Lin's aggressive over the table approach.
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Sun Yang also made it to the finals of U19.
What is the benefit of chopping with Short Pips? I imagine LP is more useful because of the strange bounces, spin reversal, etc. Using Short Pips seems like it makes the spin much easier for the opponent to read.
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WCQ is actually playing more of a Ma Lin style with a focus on tricky serves, short game and a very strong 3rd ball loopkill, except he also has a very good BH game + it's coming from a lefty so it's even worse.
Ma Long plays similarly during his peak years but never had the modern BH to complement it.
FZD has his own style but he pretty much relies on topspin battle superiority and tries to convert everything to that kind of game mode.
LJK actually plays the most like ZJK, with an emphasis on heavy spin and stability and shot quality, with quality pushes and defence to counter fast players. Unfortunately he's also incredibly overweight and can't run as well as ZJK used to do.
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Definitely wasn't me that said anything about the stability of topspin rallies, I have always called Wang the king of low arcing topspin. Fan used to make it work against Wang from time to time with well placed counters and blocks to the wide forehand but Fan seems to be on vacation at the moment
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I think he meant FZD vs WCQ. Come on, Tony, give him more credit than that...
