Top players will make their debut in Suzhou

Top seeds will make their debut in the 2015 World Championships tomorrow. Players such as Ma Long, Zhang Jike, Timo Boll, Jun Mizutani and Dimitrij Ovtcharov know their rivals of the first round. The main draw of the men's doubles will also begin on Tuesday. 

Top players will make their debut at the 2015 World Championships tomorrow. The qualification rounds came to an end and the seeds know their opponents. [[Ma Long]], top seed, will face Iran's [[Noshad Alamiyan]]. [[Xu Xin]], second seed, will meet Singapore's [[Yang Zi]]. 

[[Zhang Jike]] and [[Fan Zhendong]] will gave Romanian rivals in the first round. The defending champion will play against [[Ovidiu Ionescu]], while Fan will face [[Constantin Cioti]]. [[Liang Jingkun]] and [[Fang Bo]] are the other Chinese players in competition. Liang and Fang will meet Hungary's [[Daniel Kosiba]] and Czech Republic's [[Tomas Konecny]], respectively.  

German stars will also make their debut in Sozhuo tomorrow. [[Timo Boll]] will meet Spain's [[Carlos Machado]] and [[Dimitrij Ovtcharov]] will play against Thailand's [[Padasak Tanviriyavechakul]]. [[Patrick Franziska]], [[Bastian Steger]] and [[Steffen Mengel]] are the other German players in the singles event. 

Main draw here

Chinese players wll also play their first matches in the dobles event tomorrow. Zhang Jike and Xu Xin will face [[Marcelo Aguirre]] of Paraguay and [[Rodrigo Gilabert]] of Argentina. If they win their first match, they will meet [[Timo Boll]] and [[Ma Long]] in the second round. But first Boll and Ma have to beat the Turkish pair of [[Ibrahim Gunduz]] and [[Gencay Menge]]. 

[[Chuang Chih-Yuan]] and [[Chen Chien-An]], defending champions, will face Slovenia's [[Darko Jorgic]] and [[Jan Zibrat]] in the first round. 

Photo and info. source: ittf.com 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 28, 2015 at 12:48AM

Xu Xin Wins First Round Of The Mixed Doubles

The main competition has started in the 2015 World Championships today following the two-day qualifiers in all events, and the Mixed Doubles was the ushering event. In the first round, the all Chinese pair of Yan An and Wu Yang struggled a little bit but survived in the end. As for the transnational pairings of the Chinese Team, it was a powerful start. 

ITTF. After two days of competition, the 2015 World Championships have entered into the main draw. The Mixed Doubles was the kick-off event. 

There were two transnational pairings in the Mixed Doubles involving Chinese players. It was [[Xu Xin]]/Yang Ha Eun, and [[Chen Meng]]/Emmanuel Lebesson. Both posted solid results in the opening round. 

Xu Xin and Yang Ha Eun swept Bojan Tokic and Manca Fajmut, while Chen Meng and Emmanuel Lebesson ended the hopes of Pakistan’s Saleem Abbas and Aisha Ansari with 4-0. 

However, the all Chinese pairing of [[Yan An]] and [[Wu Yang]] encountered a little bit of a challenge after surviving the transnational pairing of Aleksander Karakasevic and Ruta Paskauskiene. The Chinese pair survived the round with 4-3 (11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 7-11, 8-11, 11-8). 

As for the top seeds, Kim Hyok Bong and Kim Jong soothed their way through the round with an impressive 11-3, 11-1, 11-6, 11-1 against Mexico’s Miguel Lara and Monica Serrano. 

As for the Women’s Singles, the only Chinese qualifier in the lineup, [[Mu Zi]], showed the strength of a Chinese player. Despite in a lower rank, she was able to defeat the higher-ranking players in her group. She crushed Rahel Aschwanden of Switzerland, Megan Phillips of Wales and Corinna Whitaker of Scotland. 

Mu Zi ranked first in their group and will advance into the main draw. She is scheduled to face Kristin Silbereisen of Germany in the opening round. 

Photo source: Sohu Sports 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 27, 2015 at 06:17PM

Zhang Jike Asks Permission From Ma Long To Win The Title

As the defending champion, Zhang Jike holds an important position in this year’s World Championships. So when the draw took place and was announced last weekend, the Grand Slam champion gave his comments. In addition, he also admitted that he is aiming for his third world championship title. 

Sohu Sports. The draw took place and was announced last Saturday. Let us see how Zhang Jike saw the results. 

“No matter what the result of the draw was, if I want to reach the end then I must win against every opponent.” [[Zhang Jike]] said.  

This year’s competition is very essential for the Grand Slam champion. If he wins the title, then it will be his third consecutive championship title, something that has only been done by the late Zhuang Zedong. 

“As defending champion, I certainly want to win again. But I still need to ask [[Ma Long]] if he agrees or not.” He added. 

Hearing Zhang Jike’s words, the captain of the Chinese Team, Ma Long said that he is aware everyone is anticipating a final battle between him and Zhang Jike and the World Championships is one good opportunity to show that to the table tennis community. 

Photo source: China Sports 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 27, 2015 at 11:35AM

Liu Guoliang Feels Sorry For The Doubles

The transnational pairing of Ma Long and Timo Boll is one of the highlights in this week’s competition in Suzhou. It would have been nice if they meet the strongest Chinese pair of Zhang Jike and Xu Xin in the finals. However, after the draw took place, such scenario will never happen and the head coach of the Chinese Team felt sorry about it. 

Guangzhou Daily. Some were disappointed after the draw was released last weekend especially after seeing the results in the Men’s Doubles. Liu Guoliang was one of them. 

“This pair ([[Ma Long]] & [[Timo Boll]]) is an Olympic combination. They need to train for the Rio Olympics through the World Championships. Two outstanding players like Ma Long and Timo Boll playing together is extremely not easy and its also has a lot of chance.” Liu Guoliang said. 

As for the result of the draw, the head coach expressed his regret. 

Liu Guoliang, just like most of us, was hoping to see both pairs go further into the competition, even meet each other in the finals. It is not just for excitement but in order for Ma Long to exercise his competitive skills within the core of the National Team. However, it will not come true. 

Another problem for Liu Guoliang is that both pairs will meet each other in the second round and which side will he be coaching? 

“We will discuss it later.” Liu Guoliang answered. 

Photo source: China Sports 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 27, 2015 at 11:33AM

Li Xiaoxia Focusing On Physical Recovery (Video)

Going through serious injury recently, Li Xiaoxia admitted that she is still recovering right now and that her focus is more on regaining her physical strength. Fortunately, she is strong enough to withstand the challenges in training and competition. Lastly, Li Xiaoxia doesn’t have any special feelings on the result of the draw made last week. 

Sohu Sports. Li Xiaoxia is the defending champion in the women’s side but she hasn’t revealed that defending it is her ultimate goal in Suzhou. 

“My body is still recovering right now. Fortunately, my physical strength is strong enough. I can withstand the high intensity of training and competition.” [[Li Xiaoxia]] said. 

Recently, the physical condition of Li Xiaoxia became a concern for her fans and of course the coaching staff. But fortunately, she was able to recover fast, not just physically but also technically. 

As the defending champion, Li Xiaoxia feels that the result of the draw is not important. “What is essential is to be able to show your best side to everyone so that everybody will appreciate the charm of the sport.” She said. 

Li Xiaoxia won the 2013 Paris World Championships after beating [[Liu Shiwen]] in the finals. 

Li Xiaoxia vs Liu Shiwen 2013 WTTC WS Finals
video kindly shared by TTJanus

“Now I am more concerned with the physical attributes. Because if my physical strength is not good, then I will not be able cope with the competition in the Chinese Team. So now, I need to consider how to manage my injuries and protect myself more.” Li Xiaoxia concluded. 

Photo source: China News 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 27, 2015 at 11:31AM

Suzhou 2015: doubles events (VIDEO)

Today qualifiers to the main draw in mixed dobles were known. One of the interesting matches will be Wu Yang/Xu Xin vs Aleksandar Karakasevic/Ruta Paskauskiene, former European champions. Qualifers to the main draw of men's and women's doubles will be decided tomorrow. 

The main draw of mixed doubles has been completed. [[Kim Hyok Bong]] and [[Kim Jong]] of North Korea, defending champions, will face Mexico's [[Miguel Lara]] and [[Monica Serrano]]. Hong Kong's [[Jiang Tianyi]] and [[Lee Ho Ching]], second seeds, will meet Greece's [[Panagiotis Gionis]] and [[Aikaterini Toliou]]. 

Other interesting matches of the first round will be [[Koki Niwa]]/[[Sayaka Hirano]] vs [[Zhe Yu Clarence Chew]]/[[Isabelle Li Siyun]] and [[Aleksandar Karakasevic]]/[[Ruta Paskauskiene]] vs [[Yan An]]/[[Wu Yang]]. We can't forget the transnational pairs of [[Xu Xin]]/[[Yang Haeun]] and [[Emmanuel Lebesson]]/[[Chen Meng]]. The first pair will made its debut against Slovenia's [[Bojan Tokic]]/[[Manca Fakmut]], while Lebesson and Chen will play against Pakistan's [[Saleem Abbas]] and [[Aisha Ansari]]. 

In men's doubles two qualifications rounds were held today and we will know the qualifiers tomorrow. Some interesting matches will be India's [[Sharath Kamal Achanta]]/[[Sathiyan Gnanasekaran]] vs Ukraine's [[Ivan Katkov]]/[[Lei Kou]], USA's [[Kanak Jha]]/[[Timothy Wang]] vs Ecuador's [[Alberto Mino]]/Chile's [[Felipe Olivares]], North Korea's [[Choe II]]/[[Kang Wi Hun]] vs Poland's [[Jakub Dyjas]]/[[Daniel Gorak]] and [[Aleksandar Karakasevic]]/[[Bojan Tokic]] vs Hungary's [[Adam Pattantyus]]/[[Tamas Lakatos]]. 

In women's doubles qualifiers will also be known tomorrow. Some interesting matches of last qualification round will be: Serbia's [[Andrea Todorovic]]/Israel's [[Nicole Trosman]] vs Venezuela's [[Gremlis Arvelo]]/[[Neridee Nino]] and Portugal's [[Rita Fins]]/Belarus's [[Daria Trigolos]] vs India's [[Manika Batra]]/Australia's [[Lay Jian Fang]]. 

Full results here

Choe II/Kang Wi Hung vs Craig Howieson/Christopher Wheeler Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Photo and info. source: Edgar Agüero/Chile - ittf.com

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 27, 2015 at 12:14AM

Suzhou 2015: 1st Day's results (VIDEOS)

The 2015 World Championships has begun in Suzhou, China. Today players competed in the group phase and in the qualification rounds for the doubles events. Top seeds are training and waiting for their rivals in the main draw. 

The 2015 World Championships has kicked off! Today the group phase and qualification rounds for the doubles events began. In the men's singles most of top seeds made a successful debut and have to play their second match tomorrow. 

Some of the top seeds who won their first match are: [[Marcos Madrid]] of Mexico, [[Segun Toriola]] of Nigeria, [[Marc Duran]] of Spain, [[Thiago Monteiro]] of Brazil, [[Andrei Filimon]] of Romania, [[Pak Sin Hyok]] of North Korea, [[Tomas Tregler]] of Czech Republic, [[Pawel Fertikowski]] of Poland, [[Robin Devos]] of Belgium, [[Andy Pereira]] of Cuba, [[Mohamed El-Beiali]] of Egypt, [[Diogo Chen]] of Portugal, [[Alvaro Robles]] of Spain, [[Tamas Lakatos]] of Hungary, [[Marcelo Aguirre]] of Paraguay, [[Gaston Alto]] of Argentina and [[Tomislav Pucar]] of Croatia. 

Check out full results here

In the women competition some seeds won but other stumbled. [[Anqi Lou]] of Canada, [[Nicole Trosman]] of Israel, [[Olufunke Oshonaike]] of Nigeria, [[Debora Vivarelli]] of Italy, [[Paulina Vega]] of Chile and [[Petra Petek]] of Croatia and Mu Zi of China won their firts matches and have to win their last match tomorrow to get the first place in their groups. 

Check out full results here

On the contrary, other seeds such as Charlotte Carey of Wales, Rahel Aschwanden of Switzerland, [[Neda Shahsavari]] of Iran, [[Katherine Low]] of Chile and [[Daniely Rios]] of Puerto Rico faced defeat and their fate will be decided tomorrow. 

Check out full results here

Shot of the Day Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Rahel Aschwanden vs Mu Zi Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Rohan Sirisena vs Steve Herra Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Photo and info. source: Nicolas Otermin/FATM - ittf.com 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 26, 2015 at 06:22PM

J.O. Waldner: "The plastic ball won't be good for Table Tennis" (VIDEO)

In a recent interview in China, Jan-Ove Waldner talked about the 2015 World Championships, but also the current situation of table tennis. The living legend confessed that he thinks the plastic ball isn't good for the sport. 

Jan Ove Waldner outspoken in China. In a recent interview the living legend talked about the 2015 World Championships, China's biggest threat and also the present and future of table tennis. 

During the interview, Waldner was asked about the introduction of the plastic ball. The Swede had no problem to give his opinion about the controversial issue. He said that its introduction won't be good for the sport. There have been too many changes in the last decade, but he also confessed that he liked the change of scoring from 21 to 11 points. 

About the present and future of Table Tennis, the former world champion thinks that it will be difficult to beat China. [[Dimitrij Ovtcharov]] is the strongest player in Europe, but the Old Continent has no promising young players right now. 

You can finf the whole interview in the video

Video kindly shared by Mladen Vunderl

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 25, 2015 at 09:02PM

Suzhou 2015: Draw released!

The 2015 World Championships has officially begun. The draw of the men's and women's singles was carried out some hours ago and now we know the path that players will have to take to reach the finals. 

Everything is ready for the 2015 World Championships!  Draws of all events have been released, but seeded players still have to wait for their opponents of the first round. 

[[Ma Long]], top seed, would face [[Fan Zhendong]] in semifinals, but first he has to defeat some European players. In quarterfinals he would meet [[Dimitrij Ovtcharov]]. Fan, 4th seed, will have to deal with [[Koki Niwa]] and [[Timo Boll]] on his part of the draw. 

[[Zhang Jike]], 3rd seed, would face [[Jun Mizutani]] in quarterfinals, but he previously will have to beat [[Vladimir Samsonov]]. [[Xu Xin]], 2nd seed, will probably meet [[Marcos Freitas]] in quarterfinals, but he will have to play against his teammate [[Fang Bo]] in the previous match. 

Full draw here

[[Ding Ning]], s the top seed in the women's event. If the former world champion reaches semifinals, she will face [[Feng Tianwei]]. But her teammate [[Wu Yang]] could be her rival in quarterfinals. [[Feng Tianwei]] also has a strong opponent in quarterfinals, [[Kasumi Ishikawa]]. 

[[Liu Shiwen]], 2nd seed, would meet [[Zhu Yuling]] in quarterfinals and [[Li Xiaoxia]] in semifinals. To reach semifinals, the defending champion will have to defeat [[Ai Fukuhara]]. 

Full draw here

Photo and info. source: sport-asia.com - ittf.com 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 25, 2015 at 06:38PM

Zhang Jike Hopes To Find The Momentum In London

Zhang Jike is one of the strongest contenders for this year’s World Championships. As the defending champion, he invests his efforts in his preparations to ensure best condition for the competition. As the team is having their last minute preparations in Suzhou, Zhang Jike said he hopes to find the momentum he had in London. 

QQ Weibo. Roughly two years ago, Zhang Jike completed his Grand Slam champion. This year, he hopes to achieve another milestone in his career. 

Yesterday, while [[Zhang Jike]] was training, the head coach, [[Liu Guoliang]] called the young champion’s attention five times in just two hours. This just shows that the coach wants his player to be 100% prepared for competition. Liu Guoliang also said that he hopes for Zhang Jike to make a brand new start. 

As for Zhang Jike, he hopes that the would be able to find the same momentum he has in the London Olympics. In one of his recent interviews, the Grand Slam champion noted that the Suzhou stadium is very similar to that in London.  

Zhang Jike completed his Grand Slam after winning the London Olympics Men’s Singles. 

Despite the fatigue in every training session, Zhang Jike will always spend time to his fans. He patiently caters to the requests of his fans, whether it is for autograph or a photo. 

Photo source: QQ Weibo 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 24, 2015 at 12:17PM

Liu Guoliang & Bill Gates Play Table Tennis (Video)

Bill Gates is known to be a big fan of table tennis and when he had the opportunity to be with the head coach of the strongest team in the sport, a mini-showdown happen. Of course, Liu Guoliang was very happy to play with one of the richest men in the world. However, after the match, the coach said his honest assessment on the skills of Bill Gates. 

QQ Sports. Not long ago, one of the richest men in the world, Bill Gates visited China and had an actual showdown with the head coach of the Chinese Team, Liu Guoliang. 

“In playing table tennis, Bill Gates seemed like a tennis player.” [[Liu Guoliang]] said, laughing. 

After the showdown, in behalf of the Chinese National Team, Liu Guoliang presented some memorabilias, a signed jersey and racket. Of course, Gates was very happy and proud. 

He frankly hopes that he will have the opportunity to be with the champions of the Chinese National Team and ask for playing tips. 

As a table tennis fan, Bill Gates was actually in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games where Liu Guoliang clinched the championship titles in Singles and Doubles. Witnessing that in person, Liu Guoliang left a deep impression on Gates. 

Photo source: Sohu Sports 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 24, 2015 at 12:16PM

Japanese Team Feels Good For The World Championships (Photos)

The Japanese Team has been showing good improvements in recent competitions. So in the upcoming World Championships, the Japanese players are certainly not to be taken for granted. Before setting off for Suzhou, the whole team had a press conference and all the players in the lineup appeared with good spirits. 

Sina Sports. Kasumi Ishikawa, Ai Fukuhara, and Jun Mizutani among others appeared in the media for the team’s press conference before setting off for Suzhou. 

In the press conference, there was one question that was asked to them: What is it that they can win over the Chinese players? 

“Three days ago, I went to a salon to have my haircut. It has already been a long time since I cut my bangs short. I feel very comfortable now and I think it makes me feel good.” [[Kasumi Ishikawa]] said. 

“I met a Chinese player in the stadium and noticed her shoes were very good. I told her I like it. As a result, they told the people in charge and now, they sent me a pair.” [[Ai Fukuhara]] said. 

“My expression looks a bit serious. Actually I just feel natural. But watching it on tv after the match makes me feel terrible.” [[Sayaka Hirano]] said. 

As for the new father, [[Jun Mizutani]] said that it should be family. “Because I already had my first daughter and Chinese players are still not married.” 

Out of their answers, it seems that only Jun Mizutani got a correct answer. 

Created with flickr slideshow.

 

Photo source: PingPang World 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 24, 2015 at 12:14PM

Zhu Yuling: Losing To Feng Tianwei Is A Treasure

Zhu Yuling is one of the players who were tested by Feng Tianwei in this year’s Asian Cup. She lost in the Group Stage of the Women’s Singles. Now that the whole team is preparing for the World Championships, Zhu Yuling said that her loss was a treasure as it enabled her to learn more. As for Kong Linghui, his players need to really adjust their mindset against Feng Tianwei. 

Sina Sports. A loss is a loss but definitely it can be a precious learning experience. Zhu Yuling hopes not to repeat the same mistakes again in Suzhou. 

Last month, [[Zhu Yuling]] was surprised by the powerful performance of the Singaporean player [[Feng Tianwei]]. She lost in the Group Stage that contributed to the failure of the Chinese Team to defend the championship title of the Women’s Singles. 

“Losing to Feng Tianwei is a treasure. I hope that through my learnings, I will be able to gain more in the World Championships.” Zhu Yuling said. 

In the upcoming World Championships, Zhu Yuling is giving all her efforts to prepare for the competition especially against Feng Tianwei. 

As for the head coach, [[Kong Linghui]], he reminded his players to be prepared mentally and technically against their main rival from Singapore. 

“I have said during the World Championship summary that if they will meet Feng Tianwei in the competition, I hope that they will be able to straighten their mindset. Then, winning will be a very good opportunity for training.” Kong Linghui said. 

Photo source: QQ Sports 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 24, 2015 at 12:12PM

Transnational pairs in Suzhou 2015

Timo Boll and Ma Long are one of the transnational pairs that will compete in the World Championships to be held in Suzhou. But there are also other interesting pairs in competition such as the European champions Wang Zengyi/Tan Ruiwu and Chen Meng/Emmanuel Lebesson.

2 days left for the 2015 World Championships! This year the International Table Tennis Federation allows players from different countries to team up in the doubles event. [[Timo Boll]] and [[Ma Long]] are the most popular pair so far, but there will be other interesting victories as well. 

[[Wang Zengyi]] of Poland and [[Tan Ruiwu]] of Croatia, European champions, will join forces in Suzhou. [[Aleksandar Karakasevic]] of Serbia/[[Bojan Tokic]] of Slovenia and [[Matiss Burgis]] of Latvia/[[Lubomir Jancarik]] of Czech Republic also will play together in the men's doubles. 

We can find more transnational pairs in the women's doubles. Iveta Vacenovska of Czech Republic will team up with [[Liu Jia]] of Austria. [[Ruta Paskauskiene]] of Lithuania and [[Margaryta Pesotska]] of Ukraine will also play together in China. Other pairs in competition are [[Li Jie]] of Netherlands/[[Li Qian]] of Poland, [[Andrea Todorovic]] of Croatia/[[Nicola Trosman]] of Israel, [[Lea Rakovac]] of Croatia/[[Matilda Svensson]] of Sweden, [[Li Xiaodan]] of China/[[Manthana Komwong]] of Thailand and [[Shen Yanfei]] of Spain/[[Hu Melek]] of Turkey. 

In mixed doubles [[Chen Meng]] of China will play with [[Emmanuel Lebesson]] of France. [[Ni Xialian]] of Luxembourg and Matiss Burgiss of Latvia will also be in the competition. 

Photo and info. source: ruhrnachrichten.de - ittf.com 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 24, 2015 at 07:45AM

Joao Monteiro and Daniela Dodean became parents

Joao Monteiro and Daniela Monteiro-Dodean, who married last year, became parents for first time on Monday. The Portuguese player shared the wonderful news on his facebook fan page yesterday. 

[[Joao Monteiro]] and [[Daniela Monteiro-Dodean]] become parents for first time! The couple welcomed their baby girl on Monday. Joao Monteiro shared the good news with his fans on his facebook fan page yesterday. 

Unfortunately for the new dad, tomorrow he is travelling to China to compete at the 2015 Word Championships to be held from 26th April to 3rd May. The tournament hasn't begun yet, but Monteiro said that he is already a world champion thanks to his daugther.

Congratulations Joao and Daniela!

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 23, 2015 at 05:46PM

Zhang Jike Adheres To The World Championships Injured (Video)

As the two-time defending champion, Zhang Jike’s presence in the upcoming World Championships is very important. If he could win the title then definitely, it will be another milestone for him in his career. Aside from that, he will get much closer to the Rio Olympics. However, this time, competition seems to be very challenging as well. 

Sina Sports. This year’s World Championships is critical for Zhang Jike as it can lead him to the next Olympic Games. But this time, competition is not easy. 

In this Suzhou World Championships, [[Zhang Jike]]’s biggest opponent is not [[Timo Boll]], [[Dimitrij Ovtcharov]] or or even [[Ma Long]] or [[Fan Zhendong]]. His greatest enemy now is his waist injury which has been troubling him for many years. 

This year, the stakes are higher for Zhang Jike. If he will be able to win the title then he will be the first player to win the title three consecutive times in this modern era. But of course, the challenge is big as well. 

According to the head coach [[Liu Guoliang]], aside from the passion to win, Zhang Jike also needs to take good care of himself in order to win in this competition. 

In last year’s Men’s World Cup, Zhang Jike went through the competition with the same injury. But despite that, he still won. 

Zhang Jike vs Ma Long 2014 World Cup Finals
video kindly shared by janus770

Photo source: China Sports 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 23, 2015 at 11:40AM

Liu Shiwen Alarmed By Feng Tianwei (Video)

Liu Shiwen once experienced a devastating defeat when she lost to Feng Tianwei in the 2010 World Championships. The adjustment period was long and hard. Indeed, Liu Shiwen has gradually overcame the shadow of that defeat. However, just recently, Liu Shiwen encountered another defeat and this has alarmed her especially for the upcoming World Championships. 

Sina Sports. We are several days away from the World Championships and preparations are very intense now, especially for Liu Shiwen. 

Recently, [[Liu Shiwen]] posted poor performance in the Asian Cup which resulted to the Chinese Team losing the Women’s Singles title. She lost to [[Feng Tianwei]] in the finals with a 2-4 score. 

“I feel that defeat sounded the alarm. At that time, after losing the match, I was still very frustrated.” She said. 

Liu Shiwen vs Feng Tianwei 2015 Asian Cup WS Finals
video kindly shared by janus770

We all know that such encounter was not the first for Liu Shiwen and Feng Tianwei. Around 5 years ago, Liu Shiwen went through a difficult period after losing to Feng Tianwei in the World Team Championships, which also caused the overall defeat of China in the competition. 

So, has she adjusted well for the upcoming competition in Suzhou? 

“But through a brief adjustment, my condition now is good. You definitely want to learn from losing. If this loss happened in the World Championships then the result could have been even frightening.” Liu Shiwen concluded.  

Photo source: China News 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 23, 2015 at 11:38AM

Feng Tianwei Not Optimistic For The World Championships

Feng Tianwei has proven her strength against Chinese players in a number of competitions. Just recently, she defeated the Chinese Team again after she won over Liu Shiwen in the Asian Cup. Although she said that her confidence has increased, she isn’t looking very optimistic in the upcoming World Championships. 

Sina Sports. Feng Tianwei will be attending the World Championships with confidence from the Asian Cup but she has a lot of hang-ups. 

After the victory in the Asian Cup, [[Feng Tianwei]] immediately went to Bremen for the German Cup. After that competition, she then went back to Singapore to have her three-week training for the World Championships. 

Of course, Feng Tianwei’s victory brought a lot of pride for Singapore. Aside from that, hopes are alive once again, especially that the World Championships is just around the corner. However, it seems that Singapore’s pride is not feeling the same optimism. 

“The World Championships is just around the corner. Many people told me their optimism but I am not of optimistic on myself. I think the World Championships is difficult. The Chinese Team will have seven players. I always rank eighth every time.” Feng Tianwei said. 

Although she feels that her confidence was boosted after that victory over [[Liu Shiwen]] in India, she feels that it has nothing to do with her performances in future competitions. 

Feng Tianwei vs Liu Shiwen 2015 Asian Cup WS Finals
video kindly shared by janus770

“Being the first Singaporean player who won the Asian Cup has strengthened my confidence. But I do not hope to be overwhelmed. This time, I seem great to everyone but it doesn’t represent that the succeeding games will also be played well.” Feng Tianwei concluded. 

Photo source: China News 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 23, 2015 at 11:36AM

Ding Ning Protecting Herself From Injuries

As the top seed in the competition, Ding Ning is one of the strong favourites to win the title in the upcoming World Championships. For her, she also wanted to win following her defeat in the last competition in Paris. With that desire, Ding Ning wants to protect herself from injuries so that she can perform well as hopes for in Suzhou. 

Sina Sports. Ding Ning has won the 2011 World Championships. This year, winning it again sounds attractive for her that’s why she is investing on it. 

“Today, we will be travelling to the stadium. When we arrive in Suzhou, it will be a different feeling. I will gradually adjust my condition for the competition.” [[Ding Ning]] said last week before the whole delegation travelled for Suzhou. 

Although Ding Ning has already won the title in 2011, she would still want to win the title now especially that it can lead her closer to the Olympic Games. 

“Before this competition, I protected myself better. There were not any injuries. Since there is no special reason, I think giving my all in the daily training is something I need to do.” Ding Ning concluded. 

Photo source: Sohu Sports 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 23, 2015 at 11:34AM

11 curious facts about Suzhou 2015

4 days to go to the 2015 World Championships to be held in Suzhou, China. The Chinese team is already in Suzhou, while the rest of the teams are on their way to China. If you haven't been following Suzhou 2015 until now, we show you some curious facts about the tournament. 

1. This is the 5th time that China will host a World Championships. The previous tournaments were: Beijing 1961, Tianjin 1995, Shanghai 2005 and Guangzhou 2008.

2. There will be 8 competition tables in the main hall, 32 tables in the second hall and 36 training tables.

3. 100 countries will be in competition. 

4. 311 male and 238 female players will be competing in Suzhou 2015.

5. The oldest players in competition are Ni Xialian of Luxemburg, 51, and He Zhiwen of Spain, 52.

6. The youngest players are Amy Wang of USA, 12, and Essa Alblooshi of UAE, 14.

7. Suzhou International Expo Centre, where the World Championships will be held, has a capacity of 5,500 seats in the main stadium.

8. The Men’s Singles final has always been contested by two players from China when the event has been held in China. 

9. The Women’s Singles event has always been won by a Chinese player when the event has been held in China; only once was it not against a fellow Chinese player; in Beijing in 1961 Qiu Zhonghui beat Hungary’s Eva Koczian in the final.

10. This will be the 24th World Championships for Jean-Michel Saive. His first World Championships was Tokio 1983 at the age of 13. 

11. Suzhou was the host for ITTF World Tour Tournaments in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; notably Zhang Jike won the Men’s Singles title in 2010, Ma Long in 2011 and 2013; Li Xiaoxia won the Women’s Singles title in 2010.

Photo and info. source: lameuse.be - ittf.com 

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This article by originally appeared on http://tabletennista.com on April 22, 2015 at 07:18PM