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The performance of the Japan table tennis team at the 2024 WTT China Grand Slam this time, to be honest, is a bit different from everyone's expectations. Especially in the men's singles, it is like eating a basin of cold water, and the five main forces are now only Zhang Benzhi and one person are holding on. The rest of them all fell on the way to promotion, what Yoshimura Shinharu, Shinozuka Daito, was directly eliminated in the first round, especially Yoshimura was also crushed by Sweden's Moregard 3-0. Let's put it this way, this scene reminds people of whether the title of "Ping Pong Power" can still hold up.
Speaking of Tomokazu Zhangmoto, he is now simply carrying all the hopes of Japan men's singles. The pressure is high, but this young man is really tenacious enough and is still fighting. However, even if Tomokazu Zhang can continue to rush forward, I am afraid that the overall competitiveness of Japan's table tennis men's singles cannot be avoided. After all, table tennis is a sport, the Chinese team is a long-term hegemon, whether it is technical tactics, or psychological quality, we have to admit that Japan is really a bit of a gap.
However, what is a little relieved is that the performance of the Japan women's team is not so face-shaking. Mimato Ito and Sakura Mori entered the round of 16, at least supporting the façade of the women's singles. Misei Ito is particularly powerful, as a star player of Japan women's table tennis, she has rich experience in the competition, and her performance this time is also stable. But the question is, can this "stability" be translated into a "breakthrough"? Miyu Nagasaki will face China's rising star Chen Yi next, which could be a key moment in whether Japan's women's singles can break through further. If it is folded in the hands of Chinese players, Japan women's table tennis will also have to start to reflect.
In fact, the embarrassment of the Japan table tennis team is not a matter of one or two days. To be honest, Japan's table tennis foundation is indeed not bad, there are competitive players in the international arena, and there are talented young players, but the problem is that their performance in key tournaments always lacks stability, especially in mentality. Young players are prone to psychological breakdowns when faced with pressure, which can be fatal in competitive sports. To compete with a strong team like China, not only must you have excellent technology, but also your psychological quality.
But then again, this defeat was also a wake-up call for the Japan team. Through this competition, they should be more aware of where they need to strengthen. An excellent player like Tomokazu Zhangmoto, although he can hold up the beam, he will not fight alone for long. The improvement of the overall level of the team, the innovation of techniques and tactics, and the training of the psychological level are all indispensable. If the Japan table tennis team wants to go further in international competitions in the future, it will have to carry out all-round reflection and improvement.
So in the end, the editor would like to ask: Is the loss of the Japan table tennis team accidental? Or is it already revealing their systemic problems at the tournament? What do you think about this?