Chao News client reporter Wang Pingqin
The 2024 Macau Table Tennis World Cup ended on April 17, and a total of 11 members of the Chinese table tennis team advanced. The only member of the Chinese team who failed to qualify was Kuo Man, who fought 2:2 with South Korea's Tian Zhixi, and although the game score was the same, she was at a disadvantage in the small score competition at 33:36 and unfortunately went out.
The table tennis World Cup format ushered in a new change, in the group stage, the male and female players were divided into 16 groups, and each group of 3 people played a round-robin match. The group stage adopts a "four-game system", and each game will be played in 4 rounds regardless of whether it is won or lost, which means that the score may appear 4:0, 3:1 or 2:2, etc., and the final group ranking will be determined according to the relationship between the players, and the first place in each group can be successfully promoted. This rule made the 2-2 draw full of suspense, and many players shouted that the game system was cruel, and every game was full of all.
The 2-2 draw was suspenseful
There were three players in the group stage, but only one place to qualify, which made the group stage of the Macau World Cup extremely competitive and confusing.
On April 17, national table tennis player Kuo Man welcomed South Korea's Tian Zhixi, and both sides defeated another player in the group, Hong Jianfang, 4-0. After the start of the game, Tian Zhixi quickly took a 2-0 lead, and then after Kuo Man gradually adapted to the opponent's attack, the score was 2-2 in two consecutive games. But in terms of total scores, Tian Zhixi took the lead 36-33, and finally through the calculation of small points, Tian Zhixi qualified for the qualification, and Kuo Man missed the knockout round.
Photo credit: WTT
In addition to Kuaiman, in the World Cup, many players also encountered a thrilling moment of "2-2".
Chen Xingtong fought to a 2-2 draw with Thailand's Paranam, but fortunately, Chen Xingtong took a narrow lead with a total score of 42-41 to win the top spot in the group and advance.
Wang Yidi also fought to a 2-2 draw against Germany's Shan Xiaona, but Wang Yidi qualified for this group with a total score of 40-33. Looking back on the two group games, Wang Yidi said: "Today's 2-2, the last game was 3-1, and in the end, Du Kaiqin and I both won 5 games, which is really thrilling. It's a brutal format, and every game and every point counts. ”
Photo credit: WTT
According to the format, you want to see the players give it their all, and every small point can affect the result. In previous table tennis matches, there were few 11-0 scores, but in the group stage of this World Cup, the crazy bombardment of 11-0 has appeared many times. Japan's Miu Hirano played two 11-0s in quick succession against Lin Jocelyn without showing any mercy.
Count the important changes in the history of table tennis
As China's national sport, table tennis has always had a strong dominance in the world. In order to balance the dominance of China's national table tennis, the International Table Tennis Federation has adjusted and reformed the table tennis rules many times. Let's review several important changes in table tennis in those years -
2000: Small Ball Changed to Big Ball
In 2000, the International Table Tennis Federation changed the traditional 38mm ball to a 40mm ball to slow down the ball's flight and spin, and improve the number of rounds and spectacle. It makes it more difficult for the flexible and small Chinese team or Asian teams to win or win, and it is necessary to redevelop new table tennis equipment and study the rotation of large balls.
Image source: Visual China
2001: 21-point to 11-point scale, uncovered serve
The ITTF has once again reformed the 21-point system that has been in place for nearly a hundred years and changed it to an 11-point system per game, which not only shortens the game time, which is conducive to broadcasting, and the chancefulness of the game has also greatly increased.
In September of the same year, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) introduced new rules to serve without cover. This had an impact on many athletes who were good at using their bodies to block and send out elusive and varied balls, especially Liu Guoliang at that time. Liu's serve and follow-up tackles were a lethal weapon against the Europeans, but with the introduction of uncovered serves, that advantage was greatly diminished.
2004: Two doubles pairs from the same federation must be drawn in the same half
The ITTF has introduced a new rule - two pairs of doubles players from the same association must be drawn in the same half. According to the changed rules, if the two pairs of the Chinese team successfully advance, they will meet in the semi-finals and miss the finals. In other words, it is impossible for the Chinese team to win the championship and runner-up in the doubles event.
2007: Organic glue was banned
After 2007, the International Table Tennis Federation banned the use of organic glue to bond on the table tennis racket in the competition, and the ball elasticity of the racket made by inorganic glue was weaker, the speed and rotation of the ball decreased significantly, and the line after touching the table was not so weird and changeable. Many people in the industry have complained about the implementation of the ban on glue, but Wang Hao's World Cup victory, Ma Long and Bol's good results and other facts prove that the equipment reform will not fundamentally affect high-level players.
2009: Quota for the Olympic Games
At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, there were three five-star red flags fluttering in the wind in both men's and women's singles, and the International Table Tennis Federation and the Olympic Organizing Committee limited the quota for men's and women's singles. For the London 2012 Olympic Games, there will be only two quota places for each country. In the Olympic singles event, the challenge is limited to two, up from a maximum of three players per team. This means that the picture of Chinese table tennis winning the Olympic gold, silver and bronze at the same time has completely become history.
Image source: Ping Pong World
2021: The size of the field was reduced, and it was forbidden to blow the ball and touch the table
Due to the epidemic, the Tokyo Olympics banned table tennis players from touching the table with their hands and blowing air on the table tennis balls to keep the ball dry, which made quite a few table tennis players uncomfortable. At the same time, the competition area is reduced by 30%, the technical requirements are higher, and the venue is more compact, which also restricts the "running and pulling" style of national table tennis.
2023: Chengdu World Cup team competition 15 games and 8 wins
The World Cup team competition to be held in Chengdu, China in December 2023 is no longer divided into men's and women's team competitions, but is combined into a mixed team competition, and a new best-of-15 system has been introduced. If you fall behind, it will be difficult to catch up. This format is also a great test of the team's mental quality and stability.
In this year's Macau Singles World Cup, the Table Tennis Federation adopted the "4-game system" rule to make the game full of suspense.
Our national table tennis team has a glorious tradition and brilliant achievements, although the competition system has been changing, but the national table tennis has been facing difficulties, constantly improving their strength and level, and winning glory for the country and the nation on the world stage.