On July 31, Beijing time, in the 1/32 final of the men's singles table tennis at the Paris Olympics, Chinese player Wang Chuqin lost 2-4 to Sweden's Moregard and stopped in the round of 32. As the world's No. 1 seeded player, Wang's exit was a surprise. Many people focused on the incident in which his racket was accidentally damaged before the game, believing that it was the direct cause of his loss. However, as a veteran sports commentator, I believe that the racket is just a façade, and Wang's defeat reflects a deeper problem that deserves serious consideration.
Racquet accidents: not to be overlooked, but not decisive
First of all, we can't ignore the impact of the racket accident on Wang Chuqin. As professional players, they have precise tuning and a high sensitivity to their equipment. Damage to the main racket will undoubtedly have an impact on their feel and psychology. Wang Chuqin's anger before the game and his helplessness after the game both show this.
However, the racket is not the only factor that determines the outcome of a match. History is full of examples of players winning despite equipment damage. Take table tennis as an example, Zhang Yining once won the women's singles championship with a spare racket at the Athens Olympics, proving the strength of technique and will. Although Wang Chuqin is young, he is also a top master in the world, and he should have enough strength and psychological quality to deal with such an accident.
Moregaard: A formidable enemy to be reckoned with
Secondly, we need to face up to Moregard's strength. Although the 21-year-old Sweden is not ranked as good as Wang Chuqin in the world, his talent and potential are obvious to all. In the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships, he once broke into the men's singles final, although he finally lost to Fan Zhendong, but the process was really thrilling, which is enough to prove that he is not an ordinary person.
In addition, Moregaard has the support of Sweden, a traditional powerhouse. Sweden table tennis has dominated the world for a long time in the last century, although it has declined in recent years, but the heritage still exists. In this match, Moregard's off-court guidance is Persson, one of the former "Sweden Five Tigers", and the former world champion's point undoubtedly helped Moregard a lot. In the face of such a strong enemy, it is not easy for Wang Chuqin to win easily.
Wang Chuqin: It exposes the problems of single technique and tactics and fragile psychology
Finally, we need to reflect on Wang Chuqin's own problems. In this game, Wang Chuqin played very passively, and it seemed that he could not find any other effective means of scoring except for serving and attacking. In the face of Moregard's calm response, his mistakes continued to increase, his confidence also dropped, and he fell into a vicious cycle of getting worse and worse.
This exposed Wang Chuqin's lack of technical and tactical reserves and lack of adaptability. As the world No. 1, he deserves to be more versatile and able to confuse his opponents and turn the tide with his ever-changing tactics at crucial moments. However, in this game, we don't see that. He seems to only be able to make one single bet, and if this trick doesn't work, he will be at a loss.
At the same time, Wang Chuqin's psychological quality also needs to be improved. Faced with the double pressure of racket accidents and falling behind the score, he failed to adjust his mentality well, but became more and more chaotic, and finally messed up his position. This shows that his ability to resist pressure in key situations is not strong enough, and he needs to strengthen his training in this area.
Reflections and enlightenment: National table tennis needs to be vigilant against the crisis under the status of "leader".
Wang Chuqin's defeat is not only a one-person loss, but also a wake-up call for Chinese table tennis, which has flourished in recent years. A long-term hegemonic position is easy to breed feelings of pride and complacency, and it is easy for people to have thoughts of relaxation. Once you encounter a poor state or unexpected situation, it is likely that you will be caught off guard.
In this regard, the national table tennis should be taken as a warning. On the one hand, it is necessary to train solidly, lay good basic skills, work techniques and tactics, improve the ability to change the ball, and reserve more countermeasures. On the other hand, it is necessary to strengthen psychological construction, learn to regulate emotions in adversity, and remain calm and confident. Only in this way can you be comfortable in the competition and calmly meet various challenges.
At the same time, we should also see the rapid progress of other countries and regions. Traditional powerhouses such as Sweden, Germany and Japan are quietly rising, and Korea, Chinese Taipei and other places should not be underestimated. Their young players are full of energy and eagerness, staring at our position. If we don't be prepared for danger in times of peace and be cautious, today's surprises could become tomorrow's norm.
Wang Chuqin is still young, and the national table tennis still needs to work hard
For Wang Chuqin personally, this defeat is regrettable, but there is no need to be too harsh. He is still young and has a lot of room for improvement. As long as he can learn from this lesson and make up for his shortcomings, I believe that he will be able to regain his strength and achieve better results in the future.
For the Chinese table tennis team, this is a wake-up call and encouragement. We must be soberly aware of our own shortcomings, and we must also face up to the progress of our opponents. Only by being down-to-earth, working hard, and comprehensively improving in technology, tactics, psychology and other aspects can we consolidate our leading edge, achieve the glory of the Tokyo Olympics, achieve new achievements in Paris, and continue to write a glorious chapter of Chinese table tennis.