Wang Manyu lost in the final of the Saudi Arabia Grand Slam
In March 2024, in the table tennis Grand Slam finals held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, China's Wang Manyu lost 1-3 to India's Batra in the final, regrettably missing the championship. This is the first time in three years that Wang Manyu has lost to a player from an outside association in an important tournament.
After reviewing the game, Wang Manyu had the upper hand at the beginning, and she won 11-7 with her accurate serve and tenacious defense. But then Batra found his rhythm and won two games in a row to take the lead 11-9 and 11-8. In the crucial game, the two sides went back and forth, and it was difficult to distinguish between them, and in the end, Batra found the right time after changing sides, and scored 4 points in a row to lock up the victory 11-9.
The reason for the defeat was that Wang Manyu had a poor feel on the key points, and the quality of the serve and backhand downspin declined, giving the opponent an opportunity to take advantage of. In addition, she also showed some fatigue in her mental quality, and made several mistakes in the key points of the game, which directly caused her to be unable to win a game.
The impact of the new penalty rules for national table tennis
This defeat is undoubtedly a blow to Wang Manyu, because according to the new regulations of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, 3,000 Olympic selection points will be deducted if losing to players from other associations.
The punishment wiped out Wang's advantage over Chen Meng in the Olympic selection standings, and her initiative to qualify for the women's singles at the Paris Olympics was lost. Although Wang has put in three years of hard work, the defeat could have cost her a great chance to win the title and qualify for the Olympics.
The introduction of this rule aims to urge national table tennis players to maintain a high degree of vigilance at all times, go all out, and avoid fatigue and underestimation in important events. But it also puts a lot of psychological pressure on athletes, and if they lose, they may fall short and lose their previous achievements.
For other national table tennis players, this rule is undoubtedly a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it really pushes them to give it their all in every game; On the other hand, harsh punishments can also make them overly nervous on the field, which can affect their performance.
What to do
In the face of this strict new rule, national table tennis players must adjust their mentality and playing style in time to find a way to deal with it. Chubby is a successful example of how he has become a dodged figure by changing his regular style of play and adopting a more prudent strategy.
Chubby takes more spinning the ball route at critical moments, reducing risk-taking power and ensuring that every point is played quite safely. While this style of play sacrifices some offensive quality, it greatly reduces the risk of major mistakes. Chubby used a "cautious" approach to circumvent the impact of the new rules.
In addition to adjusting the style of play, athletes also need to be prepared in terms of mental quality. They must always maintain a high level of focus, control their emotions, and avoid disorders at critical times. Coaching staff also need to strengthen psychological counseling to help athletes build their ability to cope with pressure.
This new rule has undoubtedly brought new challenges to national table tennis players. But as long as they can adjust their strategy in time, stay focused and consistent, they will be able to meet this challenge and achieve even better results in future events.