Zhang Jike Is the 2013 WTTC Champion

[TableTennisDaily]

What an event! There we have it guys, Zhang Jike retains the World Championships Title after defeating fellow team mate Wang Hao in the final!

Family and supporters of Zhang Jike - Photo by: Remy Gros

We hope you enjoyed the show

 

[Spinandspeed]

He deserved the win. Now we will see 2 years a Zhang Jike where you have to think of if he can still play tabletennis. And then WTTC, and Zhang wins!

 

[Alborz]

he deseved to win this , maybe he will win double grand slam !
i hate the fact that he will play poorly in any even exept of WTTC and OG .

 

[etiennecha]

Which raises the question: does he keep low profile on purpose? -_-

 

[Idiot]

I saw a great deal of respect from both players during the game (especially during net and edge balls). Zhang Jike didn't really celebrate that much after winning. He must empathize for Wang Hao, because if not for him, Wang Hao would be a grand slam winner already. Great finals.

 

[ACM]

Quite deservedly so as well!!! Hurrey ZHANG JI KE Hurrey!!!

 

[sunilcse04]

He deserved the win. Now we will see 2 years a Zhang Jike where you have to think of if he can still play tabletennis. And then WTTC, and Zhang wins!

He surprises every one... somehow he keeps himself inside top 5 though we dont know how... he does not win convincingly in other matches except the WTTC.. But one thing for sure.. His mental strength in tight situations is something which Ma Long needs to crack and understand, otherwise he may not win WTTC and Olympic in his whole life !!!

Zhang is the best when it comes to combining Lobbying and attacking !! This is where Timo, Ma Long and Xu Xin fail !

 

[NeneHerrera]

He deserved this

 

[decoy]

ty for the spoiler

 

[dici]

As predicted once I saw the final is ZJK and Wang Hao... but make me sad though, since XX could not make it

 

[skywalker]

We must give big applause to Wang Hao, he is so near and yet so far, 3 times beaten by Zhang Jike in the final, Zhang seems to be a mountain in front of him, and his age may not be advantage for him in the coming WTTC and Olympic.

Compare to Zhang, Ma Long and Xu Xin which are in the same age group, Zhang's mental strength makes him difference with others.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I think Zhang Jike earned it. And somewhere in the middle of this tournament, I realized why Zhang Jike is really the player with the best overall technique and the best game. Short game, servers, footwork, positioning, strategy, and backhand and the amount of spin he puts on the ball. With all those assets, his forehand is good enough.

 

[Arlen]

Congratulations, Zhang! Hope he continues this form and not just playing well during important matches. Go for a 2nd Grand Slam!!

 

[Idiot]

I think Zhang Jike earned it. And somewhere in the middle of this tournament, I realized why Zhang Jike is really the player with the best overall technique and the best game. Short game, servers, footwork, positioning, strategy, and backhand and the amount of spin he puts on the ball. With all those assets, his forehand is good enough.

Recently, he's lost against Chen Chien-An, Taku Takakiwa, and Samsonov. Why do you think this is?

 

[Spinandspeed]

For me, the biggest differences between Wang Hao vs. Ma Long and Wang hao vs. Zhang jike were that

1. Zhang Jike played nearly everytime his backhand sidespin Flick against the serve from Wang Hao, so he could attack very early.
Ma Long pushed most of the time Wang Hao's Serve.
2. Zhang Jike was able to pressure with his backhand and could dictate the backhand rallys. Ma Long had to turn around to pressure with his forehand. He wasn't able to pressure with his backhand.

What do you think about it?

 

[Matt Hetherington]

I'm happy that he won. I think he definitely stepped up to the plate to see it through and I think it's very possible he will at least win another world cup, so the chances of him being the first player to hold 2 grand slams are indeed possible. In saying that 4 years is a long time and what will happen in Rio is quite far off. I think if Jike can win that along with another world cup there is no doubt that he could very well overtake Waldner as the greatest player ever.

 

[Alborz]

he is already the best player of all time because of wining the big three events in a row . it is very possible that he wins another world cup . 3 years is not that long so i think he will have good chance to win the 2016 OG .

 

[Irkutt]

Poor Wang Hao

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

For me, the biggest differences between Wang Hao vs. Ma Long and Wang hao vs. Zhang jike were that

1. Zhang Jike played nearly everytime his backhand sidespin Flick against the serve from Wang Hao, so he could attack very early.
Ma Long pushed most of the time Wang Hao's Serve.
2. Zhang Jike was able to pressure with his backhand and could dictate the backhand rallys. Ma Long had to turn around to pressure with his forehand. He wasn't able to pressure with his backhand.

What do you think about it?

I think you are making a good point. Ma Long is pushing those serves because they are too low to attack with his forehand. That is also why he misses the ball completely, drops it into the net or hits it long so many times when he tries to rip the ball with his forehand. The ball is too low. Whereas, Zhang Jike has the footwork to get to those balls and loop over the table with his backhand, and still get back into position if the ball comes back. But you are making a good point. That is the short game and how Wang Hao kept the ball too low and short for Ma Long to launch the big opening forehands.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Recently, he's lost against Chen Chien-An, Taku Takakiwa, and Samsonov. Why do you think this is?

In this WTTC tournament he had trouble with these three players:

Gustoav Tsuboi
Robert Gardos
Patrick Baum

In those matches, he showed up when he needed to to win, but not until then. He is a bad boy; a little rude, a little disrespectful to many of his opponents. He had so little respect for them that he knew he did not really have to show up fully to beat them. And when it is not a big title, he often just does not really even care. Again, he is a bad boy and it has gotten him in trouble. Before the Baum match, I said to a friend, "ZJK will not show up in this match until he is a little in trouble and needs to wake up and win." In the third game it was 1-1 and he was down 10-6. Then he woke up.

The interesting thing is, he did not have much trouble with these players:

Fan Zhendong
Xu Xin
Wang Hao

Against these players whose talent he respects, he showed up pretty much from the start even though, in general, he is really a slow starter.

By the way, in a recent tournament, he was playing Yan An and he was down. He quit. He walked off. They said it was an injury, but it looked to me like he just did not want to give Yan An the satisfaction of winning and he did not feel like getting in the mindset of winning. I cannot remember what tournament it was. But I remember watching it and thinking, Zhang Jike is a bad boy.