Some people watch the game and only watch the "big score".
In the WTT Macau Championship in 2023, Sun Yingsha lost 4-0 to Chen Meng in the women’s singles semi-final, and some people felt abnormal.
Last week’s WTT Xinxiang Championship was also a semi-final in women’s singles. Chen Meng lost 4-0 to Sun Yingsha. I wonder if they also felt abnormal?
In WTT Xinxiang Championship, Sun Yingsha scored 4-0 in Chen Meng, and the scores of the four sets were 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 and 11-6.
The score of four games failed to hit the key points, so it can be said that Chen Meng was completely defeated.
In the WTT Macau Championship, Sun Yingsha of Chen Meng scored 4-0, and the scores in four sets were 16-14, 11-6, 11-8 and 11-9.
Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha won the first game 10-9, and then Chen Meng tied the game and won five games in a row, only to win narrowly 16-14.
Sometimes, a small score per game is more telling.
Compare another women’s singles semi-final, although Manyu Wang won Wang Yidi 4-2, but this game is less suspense than Chen Meng’s 4-0 win over Sun Yingsha.
Manyu Wang 4-2 Wang Yidi, the score of six games: 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 11-4.
Manyu Wang is tall and arm-length, and her movements will not be restored very quickly, which determines that her forehand and backhand cohesion will not be very smooth in the near stage. What Manyu Wang is afraid of is the players with fast convergence speed and not weak strength. In the face of fast players, she often has to quit the stage and exchange distance for reaction time.
Only with speed and strength, it is possible to penetrate Manyu Wang’s defense.
However, Wang Yidi is not a speed player, and her playing style also depends on the quality of her own veneer, which is similar to that of Manyu Wang.
However, compared with Wang Yidi, Manyu Wang has stronger rotation in returning the ball and higher veneer quality. From a fundamental point of view, Manyu Wang’s strength is higher than Wang Yidi’s.
Therefore, regardless of Manyu Wang’s four-to-several win, as long as it is a best-of-seven game, the chance of surprise is very small. Under normal circumstances, it is only a matter of time before Manyu Wang defeats Wang Yidi.
However, in the semi-final between Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha, after 9-9 in the fourth game, if it wasn’t Chen Meng’s serve wheel and Chen Meng’s serve, but Sun Yingsha reversed the game, the result of the following game would be hard to say.
Before the game, when analyzing the match between Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha, I said: Chen Meng was in a particularly good state this time, and Sun Yingsha experienced high-intensity events in a row, and her state declined, which may add a little suspense to this semi-final.
For players with equal strength, the recent competitive state of the players is very important, and the players’ improvisation has a great influence on the results of the game.
Fan Zhendong’s 3-2 reversal of Lin Shidong in the men’s singles quarter-final of WTT Xinxiang Championship last week is a typical example. Lin Shidong got the match point 10-8 in the fourth game, but Fan Zhendong tied the score. Finally, Fan Zhendong reversed 13-11 to win the fourth game and was tied with a big score. Fan Zhendong won the deciding game 11-8. Moreover, Fan Zhendong finally won the men’s singles championship in Xinxiang Championship.
A game, one or two key points, may lead to a world of difference.
In table tennis, besides paying attention to who wins and who loses, it is better to look at the score of each game.
I’m interested in going to see the players’ respective service wheels, return balls and so on. If you are still interested, then learn about various services, techniques and tactics, table tennis equipment and so on.
So, don’t stop at the level of "0-4 lost". Players are improving, should old fans keep pace with the times?
As for some "extreme fans", they think that the players they like can only win but not lose. Losing is abnormal and fishy. Don’t apply the "rice circle" to competitive sports. Isn’t it good to chase the stars in the entertainment circle?
