On the evening of June 30, Beijing time, Tomokazu Zhangmoto, a rising star in the table tennis world, shone at the WTT Tunisia regular season, winning three championships in one fell swoop and becoming the brightest star of the night. After the match, he excitedly posted his trophy on social media and posted a tribute to Wang Chuqin of the Saudi Grand Slam, a move that quickly attracted widespread attention from fans. However, despite his brilliant results in Tunisia, there is still a big gap between the level of the tournament and the strength of the opponents compared to the WTT Saudi Grand Slam in May.
In the WTT tournament system, the Grand Slam represents the highest honor, and the winner can receive up to 2,000 points, which is tied with the Olympic Games and the World Table Tennis Championships. The regular season is at a lower level, with only 400 points for winning the championship, which is one-fifth of the Grand Slam tournaments. This difference in points directly reflects the importance and level of competition of the event, and also affects the performance and mentality of the players.
In the regular season in Tunisia, Tomokazu Zhangmoto's performance was amazing. He partnered Hina Hayada in the mixed doubles final to win the title with a thrilling 3-2 win over Karlsson/Carlberg. In the Men's Singles, he narrowly defeated Teruku Matsushima 3-2 in the semi-finals and Yukiya Uda 4-3 in the final.
Despite the Triple Crown at Tunisia, the tournament is different in terms of class and strength of opponents compared to the WTT Saudi Arabia Grand Slam. The Saudi Grand Slam attracted more top players, while the Tunisian tournament was due to the lack of registration from the Chinese team and the withdrawal of a large number of famous players from foreign associations, giving Zhang Benzhi more chances to win the championship.
At the WTT Saudi Grand Slam in May, Tomokazu Zhangmoto's performance was not satisfactory. In the mixed doubles event, he partnered with Hina Hayada to reach the semi-finals, losing 0-3 to Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha. The men's singles event suffered a heavy defeat, being swept out of the tournament by France's Felix Lebrun with a score of 0-3 and failing to reach the quarterfinals.
Zhang's world ranking also reflects the power gap between him and Wang. Tomokazu Zhangmoto, who once reached second place in the world, has recently fallen out of the top 10. Wang Chuqin sits firmly on the throne of the world's No. 1 and has become the leader of the men's table tennis world. This change in the rankings reflects not only the strength of the players, but also their performance and influence on the international stage.
Despite the setback at the Saudi Grand Slam, Tomokazu Haramoto's form has picked up significantly ahead of the Olympics. He won three consecutive crowns in the regular season at WTT Tunisia, showing good form and upward momentum. In the next WTT Bangkok Star Tournament, he will face the challenge of strong opponents such as Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Yunru, and whether Tomokazu Zhang can reach the top again has become the focus of everyone's attention.
Tomokazu Zhangmoto's journey to the Triple Crown is not only a personal glory, but also a kind of promotion for table tennis. With each of his victories, more young people have been inspired to devote themselves to the sport. With the WTT Bangkok Stars Tournament approaching, we have reason to believe that Tomokazu Zhang will bring us more surprises and excitement.
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WTT Grand Slam points: 2000 points
WTT 常规赛积分:400 minutes
Zhang Benzhi and mixed doubles final score: 3-2
Zhang Benzhi and men's singles semifinals: 3-2
Zhang Benzhi and the men's singles final score: 4-3
Zhang Benzhi and Saudi Arabia Battle Mixed Doubles Score: 0-3
Zhang Benzhi and Saudi Arabia battle men's singles score: 0-3