WTT Star Contender Doha 2026 Jan 13-18

[NextLevel]

tbf his short game wasn't too shabby as before, but the main drawbacks is how to alternate between defense and offense when your opponent has caught up with your rhythm. It's clear that from the 3rd set onwards, Huang didn't fear Togami's tempo anymore and became more tenacious in rallies, that's when Togami became anxious and started to make mistakes

Yes. My perception was that the tempo control began when the opponent took a longer time to go long to start the point. So it wasn't so much he played badly in the short short but hus openings and counters out of it were less surprising to Huang.

 

[zeio]

tbf his short game wasn't too shabby as before, but the main drawbacks is how to alternate between defense and offense when your opponent has caught up with your rhythm. It's clear that from the 3rd set onwards, Huang didn't fear Togami's tempo anymore and became more tenacious in rallies, that's when Togami became anxious and started to make mistakes

Former HKG head coach Chan Kong Wah actually pointed out how some players are not smart to 偷分/snag points at WTT F Hong Kong 2025.

WLQ, who was compared to livestock by Cai Zhenhua once also had the following to say about the sport of table tennis in 2013.

http://edu.people.com.cn/BIG5/n/2013/1204/c1053-23740992.html

在奧運冠軍休息間隙，南洋通訊社記者採訪了王勵勤和張繼科。王勵勤表示，興趣是引導自己一路成為專業運動員的主要因素，而教練的嚴格訓練以及自己一直以來的刻苦練習，使得自己的基本功扎實有力。當問及乒乓球在大學生中的普及時，王勵勤說，乒乓球和其他運動的不同之處在於它不僅僅是體能上的對抗，也包含了智力上的挑戰。“賽場上，你需要在極短的時間內去分析對手的球路並作出應對，這就考驗了運動員的智力和心理素質。”

 

[andymagata]

Hitomi Sato!

 

[joshmak10]

ZQH with another strong performance against Shinozuka 3-1. XP dissapoints yet again losing to Gauzy 2-3 after being up 2-1.

The future of China is WRB and HYZ. I was particularly impressed with WRB defeating Anders 3-1, while HYZ wiped away Duda-killer KGH 3-0.

Very surprised that KM lost to Sato in that manner. Thought she should've at least gotten a set. Maybe she is tired from the Champions last week?

 

[M51]

DIMA!!!

What an absolute bloody embarrassment for the CNT, though.

 

[JackJohnson]

Dima has had some good wins recently, Hugo and now LSD

 

[M51]

Come on Xue Fei, don't choke, you're the motherland's last hope here!

Edit: Wow, almost. Bravo XF, good show.

 

[Walalang]

Man i'm kinda getting sick of defending LSD lol. I keep saying stuff like he's still 20 and experienced but that was against Truls, Liang, Hugo and anders but to lose to an old Dima? Not trying to make dima look bad, of course he's still great but Lin should've won that tbh. Other CNT members that are around his age are looking better than Lin rn, Huang Youzheng and Wen Ruibo.

 

[Walalang]

I was sure that if he did lose the tournament, he would've lost to jang woojin as he looks like he hasn't gone to doha finals and isn't even tired. Bro's still fired up

 

[M51]

Man i'm kinda getting sick of defending LSD lol. I keep saying stuff like he's still 20 and experienced but that was against Truls, Liang, Hugo and anders but to lose to an old Dima? Not trying to make dima look bad, of course he's still great but Lin should've won that tbh. Other CNT members that are around his age are looking better than Lin rn, Huang Youzheng and Wen Ruibo.

LSD is the world number 2, coming from the finest training program on the planet, he shouldn't really break a sweat against a veteran like Dima. No disrespect to Dima whatsoever here, I'm thrilled with the way he started 2026. Was and is one of my favorites.

 

[NextLevel]

Man i'm kinda getting sick of defending LSD lol. I keep saying stuff like he's still 20 and experienced but that was against Truls, Liang, Hugo and anders but to lose to an old Dima? Not trying to make dima look bad, of course he's still great but Lin should've won that tbh. Other CNT members that are around his age are looking better than Lin rn, Huang Youzheng and Wen Ruibo.

He is too young to be using Kinesiotape. Something is still wrong IMHO.

 

[M51]

He is too young to be using Kinesiotape.

I've seen cadets and juniors use it, sometimes for no valid reason at all.

 

[NextLevel]

Harimoto (Batman): You killed my partner, Robin! you must pay...
Xu Fei (jJoker): Everyone and the fish at the bottom of the sea know you don't kill, Batman.. See you around, and sorry about your partner... I will give him more companions when we meet again...

 

[NextLevel]

Yubin, Sato, Gauzy, Lind, Qihao, Harimoto, Lin, ZYL, Hugo.

That was easy.... (watch me get it all wrong lol)

Lind, Harimoto and Lin.... you need to follow my predictions!

 

[NextLevel]

I've seen cadets and juniors use it, sometimes for no valid reason at all.

Yeah, maybe Lin is juat doing what they do.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Just checked some scores. I thought Sato would do well against KM given that Hashimoto is 2-0 vs. KM, but winning in straight games is a surprise. I'll have what Saki Shibata is having. First beating Miyuu Kihara and now T-League teammate, Sakura Yokoi 3-0. Saki will need to have a meeting with Miyuu Kihara and Satsuki Odo on how to beat ZYL. Looks like Miu Hirano still has a lot of work to do losing to KNY 3-0. Doha has not been kind to Tomo who should have been back in Japan resting and prepping for the All Japan. Rough start to 2026 for LSD as well.

 

[NextLevel]

Just checked some scores. I thought Sato would do well against KM given that Hashimoto is 2-0 vs. KM, but winning in straight games is a surprise. I'll have what Saki Shibata is having. First beating Miyuu Kihara and now T-League teammate, Sakura Yokoi 3-0. Saki will need to have a meeting with Miyuu Kihara and Satsuki Odo on how to beat ZYL. Looks like Miu Hirano still has a lot of work to do losing to KNY 3-0. Doha has not been kind to Tomo who should have been back in Japan resting and prepping for the All Japan. Rough start to 2026 for LSD as well.

I agree on Sato but I expected 3-0. Kuai Man still has a lot of work to be convincing vs chop at the highest level. She still relies a lot on counters and misdirection to win against attackers and against choppers, the deception is good, but they don't stay close enough to the table for what she does to score easy points. They also don't give her the ball to her backhand side on serve return quite the way an offensive player would. So she doesn't consistently get the angles into the wide forehand.

Harimoto incredibly saved 8 match points in game 4. Coming from 10-4 down to 10-11 and 11-12. And then was 5-9 down in the decider. Then got it to 9-9. Whatever anyone says about him you can't accuse of him of giving up early that's for sure. Xue Fei reads him really well and has a GPS for locating where Harimoto hates the ball.

 

[NetProphet]

Sometimes, the gods do answer our prayers!

Xue Fei vs Harimoto!

Xue Fei (Joker): You complete me.... where would I be without you.... I need you...
Harimoto(Batman): You have bad De-Zyres. Time to show you that crime doesn't pay...

Indeed, indeed!!
The gods answered and then that match seemed to deliver in spades and you received your answer!
I've only seen highlights but settling in to catch up on the full games now 🙂

 

[NetProphet]

Here's hoping these young Chinese lads, Huang Youzheng (20) and Wen Ruibo (19) can do the business V their older counterparts so we can see them in the semis.
Seeing as all the Chinese big guns (LSD, WCQ,FZD) are for varying reasons out it's a great chance for them.
Would love to see them progress and analyze them a bit in a pressure seminfina match V the likes of Calderano and Woojin 🤞

 

[NextLevel]

Xiang: Let's play table tennis.
Gauzy: Let's play badminton!
Xiang: I said table tennis....
Gauzy: Forget the table Let's play tennis!
Xiang: I need to figure this out..
Gauzy: Just play tennis... it is fun... and good for me!