The prospects of the national table tennis men's singles Olympics are worrying
Fan Zhendong is in a slump
Recently, in the international arena, the former "little fat" Fan Zhendong has been in a sluggish state and has been repeatedly Waterloo. In the WTT Saudi Arabia Grand Slam men's singles 1/8 finals, he lost 2-3 to German veteran Francesca and stopped in the round of 16. After the game, Fan Zhendong reflected on himself and bluntly said that losing was not a bad thing, but could make him recognize the problem and be fully prepared for the next game.
Fan Zhendong's downturn has lasted for more than a year. He has not won a singles title since October 2022. Once upon a time, this "post-00" genius boy was in the limelight, and in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he beat Tomokazu Zhang and won the men's singles runner-up; In 2022, he won the men's singles championship in the World Cup, Asian Games and World Table Tennis Championships. But at his peak, injuries and ups and downs in form began to show.
The 26-year-old Fan Zhendong is gradually entering the latter stages of his career. Slow heat, lack of technical and tactical adaptability, and questionable psychological quality, these problems that he easily resolved have now become his fatal flaws. The slump on the court also caused him to fall all the way up the world rankings, from No. 1 to No. 4 in the world, and the gap with top seed Wang Chuqin widened.
The era of Wang Chuqin came
In stark contrast to Fan Zhendong's downturn is the brilliant rise of his peer Wang Chuqin. This post-00 young player has achieved great results in the past year or so and has become a new generation leader of national table tennis.
In 2022, Wang Chuqin won two consecutive championships at the Xinxiang World Cup and the Doha Finals; In 2023, he will be even more unbeatable, winning the men's singles championship at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Singapore Grand Slam. In the latest world rankings, Wang Chuqin sits firmly in the men's singles top spot with a total of 8,625 points.
In addition to singles, Wang Chuqin also played well in doubles and mixed doubles. He and Ma Long defeated the Swedish pair at the Saudi Grand Slam to win the men's doubles title; Partnered with Sun Yingsha, they swept the Hong Kong, China pair in the mixed doubles final and topped the championship.
Wang Chuqin, who is only 23 years old, has shown the world's No. 1 demeanor in many aspects such as technology, physical fitness and psychological quality. His backhand attack is sharp and swift, and his attack is full of power; He also always maintains a high level of concentration on the field and does not give his opponent any chance. Wang Chuqin was still humble and courteous at his peak, and treated every opponent with the utmost respect.
Perhaps it is out of high recognition of Wang Chuqin that Fan Zhendong and Ma Long both hope that this young player can win the men's singles gold medal for the national table tennis at the upcoming Paris Olympics. For national table tennis, the rise of Wang Chuqin is undoubtedly an injection of fresh blood, and he will shoulder the heavy responsibility of leading the figure and open a new era of national table tennis men's singles.
Zhang Benzhihe challenged the national table tennis
In addition to the internal competition, the national table tennis men's singles will also face a strong challenge from Japan's "monster boy" Tomokazu Zhangmoto in the Olympic arena. The 22-year-old men's singles champion at the World Table Tennis Championships in Tokyo is making rapid progress and is aiming to win Japan's first all-time men's singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Last year, Tomokazu Harimoto defeated South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon in the men's singles final of the Asian Cup, regaining Japan's first Asian Cup men's singles title in 33 years. This victory not only allowed Tomokazu to climb to No. 9 in the world rankings, but also demonstrated his psychological maturity. After the game, Tomokazu Haramoto couldn't hide his excitement as he finally raised his eyebrows for the Japanese team in Asia.
Tomokazu Zhang is not a strange opponent for national table tennis. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he was swept by Fan Zhendong in the men's singles semifinals and missed the final. In the latest edition of the world rankings, Tomokazu Zhang slipped to 11th place due to the elimination of points in the Asian Cup, which is also the first time he has fallen out of the top 10 since April 2018.
Looking at his past performances, he is adept at provoking his opponents inside the Circle as a way to fuel his fighting spirit. In the face of the hidden powerhouse of national table tennis, Zhang Benzhihe's "arrogant" behavior may not be effective. On the contrary, he should keep in mind that if he wants to defeat the top masters of national table tennis in Paris, it is not enough to rely on lip service.
The national table tennis lineup was fine-tuned
In order to ensure that there is sufficient personnel reserve in the Paris Olympics, the national table tennis coaching staff has fine-tuned the lineup. According to the final list announced on May 14, Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong will be awarded two quotas in the men's singles, and Ma Long will compete in the men's team as the third person.
The determination of this lineup is undoubtedly the result of careful consideration by the national table tennis coaching staff. Although Ma Long missed the singles, he will usher in his fourth Olympic Games, which will also set a new record for the number of times a national table tennis player has participated in the Olympic Games. What's even more talked about is that if Ma Long helps the national table tennis men's team win the championship again in Paris, he will become the first six-gold king in the history of national table tennis.
Compared with Ma Long's veteran status, Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong will take on the hope of national table tennis in the singles event. There is no doubt about the quality of the duo, but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to perform at their best in Paris.
One thing is certain, that is, the national table tennis coaching staff has high hopes for this lineup. Head coach Liu Guoliang bluntly said that his goal is to win all three gold medals in the men's table tennis event at the Paris Olympics. Although this goal seems lofty, it is a matter of course for the national table tennis that has ruled the world table tennis for many years.
In the face of various challenges from inside and outside, the national table tennis men's singles will surely experience a difficult test in Paris. It is this challenge that will test the real strong. As the king of table tennis, national table tennis should embrace challenges, move forward on the field, and make it brilliant for China's sports career.