The main force of national table tennis is sluggish, Ma Long lost to Zhang Yuzhen, can the Saudi Grand Slam regain its glory?
In recent years, there have been some new changes in the national table tennis lineup, the state of veterans Ma Long and others has declined, and young stars such as Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Shidong have not fully shown their due strength. Ma Long lost 0-3 to South Korean teenager Zhang Yuzhen in the semifinals of the World Table Tennis Championships in Busan in February, which undoubtedly had a certain impact on his confidence. Although Fan Zhendong defeated Zhang Yuzhen in that match, his overall performance was not satisfactory. Wang Chuqin, Liang Jingkun and other main players also have the problem of ups and downs, which makes people have some doubts about the performance of national table tennis in the upcoming Saudi Grand Slam.
The rise of the South Korean team is also worth noting. As a new generation leader in the Korean table tennis world, Zhang Yuzhen has comprehensive skills and excellent performance, and her outstanding performance at the World Table Tennis Championships in Busan is impressive. In addition to Jang Woo-jin, other young players in the South Korean team such as Lee Sang-so and Cho Zi-han are also quite powerful, coupled with the experience and guidance of veteran Park Xun-sik, the Korean team is undoubtedly a strong team that should not be underestimated.
Their outstanding performance at the World Table Tennis Championships in Busan shows the huge potential of the Korean table tennis world. Although they lost in the end, the huge pressure they caused to the national table tennis is enough to show that the South Korean team has become a top team. In the upcoming Saudi Arabia Grand Slam, South Korea will definitely be an important force to win the championship.
Although the national table tennis lineup is still strong, there are indeed some hidden dangers. The decline in the form of veterans and the lack of new stars are all issues that need to be taken seriously. However, we can't deny the strength of national table tennis. They have a wealth of tournament experience and a strong overall strength, and even if they are in a temporary slump, they will not be without a chance to regain their strength.
As one of the four major table tennis tournaments, the Saudi Grand Slam is a grand scale with a strong lineup of participating teams. The event will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from May 4 to 11 and will run for a week. According to the rules of the tournament, each individual winner will receive 2,000 world ranking points, which is crucial to the player's world ranking.
In addition to the national table tennis and South Korean teams, other traditional strong teams such as Germany, Japan, Sweden, etc. are also favorites to win the championship. The German team has Ocharov and Bors; Japan is led by Tomokazu Zhangmoto and Hina Hayata; Sweden's Falke is the top contender for the men's singles title.
Emerging teams such as Singapore and India have also emerged in recent years, and Singaporean teenager Guo Yong knocked out India's Gana Sekaran in the qualifying round, which shows that his strength should not be underestimated. This Saudi Arabia Grand Slam will be a battle of power, and no team can stand alone.
For national table tennis, whether it can regain its strength and re-establish its dominance at the Saudi Grand Slam will be a major test. Whether Ma Long, Fan Zhendong and other main players can regain their best form will directly determine the prospect of winning the championship in national table tennis. It will also be interesting to see whether young stars such as Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Shidong can emerge in the competition and show their due strength and potential.
In addition to individual performance, the tacit understanding of the team cooperation of national table tennis is also very important. In the past competitions, the reason why the national table tennis has been able to achieve great results is largely due to the overall use and tacit cooperation of the overall strength. In the Saudi Arabia Grand Slam, whether the national table tennis coaching staff can deploy the lineup scientifically and reasonably and give full play to the maximum strength of each player will directly affect the final championship prospects.
Whether the national table tennis can regain its strength in the Saudi Grand Slam and achieve a counterattack remains to be tested by time. However, I believe that with rich experience in the competition and tenacious fighting spirit, the national table tennis will be able to fight the field and bring a wonderful game experience to the fans.