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No surprises in Uppsala, as Truls Möregårdh wins his sixth Swedish title
The national table tennis championships in European countries take place in March. Sweden has already crowned its national champion in Uppsala.
Another year, another title. The 23-year-old Truls Möregårdh enjoyed another glorious run at the Swedish National Championships, winning his 5th-consecutive singles title. Möregårdh has been dominating the national scene since 2020.
This year’s competition turned out to be quite one-sided since Möregårdh had only one serious obstacle on the way to the title, his fellow national team player – Anton Källberg. Outside of Borussia Düsseldorf star, there were no really other players, who might cause headaches to Möregårdh. Mattias Falck and Kristian Karlsson did not participate in this year’s edition.
Up until the final, both – Möregårdh and Källberg were confidently advancing to the next rounds, rarely losing a set or two in the process. The gap in the playing level of Swedish internationals versus the rest of the Swedish players remains significant.
The final was a more intense spectacle for the fans. Möregårdh played confidently but Källberg had his moments. Eventually, the 2021 WTTC finalist won 4-2 and added the 9th gold medal to his resume.
If Möregårdh needs just two more gold medals to catch Möregårdh Björne Mellström on the most accomplished Swedish players list on the national level. The record holder is Tage Flisberg, who won 29 gold medals from 1933 to 1962. Considering that Möregårdh is still very young, he might have a shot in the future of breaking this record. Of course, if the motivation is there, and he gonna play in doubles and mixed doubles events as well.
Anton Källberg got his taste of winning a gold medal in the doubles event, conquering the title together with Anders Eriksson. The final of the mixed doubles event brought together Elias Ranefur/Linda Bergström and Martin Friis/Filippa Bergand pairs. It turned out to be the most nerve-racking final of all the events, with the gold medal winners being decided in the fifth set. Friis and Bergand were more consistent in the decider, winning 11-7.
AdvertisementsLooking at the results of this year’s edition, it’s still unclear, whether Sweden could surprise the World with another World-class talent in the foreseeable future. At this point, outside of already proven young talent, like Möregårdh, there are no other young Swedish players, ready to battle with the World’s best players on the professional circuit and international competitions. All the hopes on Möregårdh?
2025 SWEDISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS MEDALLISTS
SINGLES
Truls Möregårdh
Anton Källberg
Pär Gerell Simon BerglundDOUBLES
Anton Källberg/Anders Eriksson Simon Berglund/Harald Andersson Martin Friis/William Bergenblock Jon Persson/Elliot LundqvistMIXED DOUBLES
Martin Friis/Filippa Bergand Elias Ranefur/Linda Bergström Anders Eriksson/Hannah Holgersson Simon Arvidsson/Alma RööseDon’t miss out the news from Table Tennis Media, subscribing to our free newsletter and explore the premium content on our Patreon.
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If you thought WTT was a mess, ETTU is even worse. The sad reality of European table tennis governing
There have been plenty of controversies around World Table Tennis and its incompetent decisions. However, the European Table Tennis Union has been on its run of questionable decisions.
European Table Tennis Union, known as ETTU, has been organizing different continental competitions for decades. From the European Championships to the Champions League, Europe Top 16, and others.
However, in recent years, during the presidency of Pedro Moura, ETTU has been on a consistent run of showing favoritism towards specific ideas and clubs that do not really benefit European table tennis development. One clear example is the German club TTC Neu-Ulm and it’s buying into the Champions League. This club appeared out of nowhere back in 2019 and without winning any accolades in the German Bundesliga, got its place in the Champions League. A similar situation has been this season, since Nimes/Montpellier club hasn’t won any French Pro A League accolades, yet, it got a place in the Champions League. Basically, if someone has a lot of money, you can simply found a new club, skip all the national league hierarchy, and get right into the elite of European club table tennis. The Champions League is for champions just on paper.
It has given a clear impression that ETTU doesn’t have any backbone or respect towards the tradition of the tournaments it organizes. As soon as financial benefits are on the horizon, there are no issues to change the rules of the game and let the money talk. If we look before Moura’s presidency, ETTU had the potential to be in a very good place financially.
A few years before the War in Ukraine started was a very lucrative and promising time for ETTU, since the aide to the president of Russian President Vladimir Putin – Igor Levitin was elected as an ETTU President in September 2020. Soon after, ETTU got a sponsorship from the largest Russian company – Gazprom. After the War in Ukraine began, Levitin resigned from his position, but the ETTU board remained pretty much the same.
Since getting sponsorship from Gazprom or any other major Russian companies was no longer a possibility, ETTU had to find ways, how to make some extra money. And why look too far, if you can simply copy-cat the WTT Youth Contenders and present the Europe Youth Series? However, this Euro-centric tournament looks simply like another cash-grab scheme in table tennis, similar to WTT Feeder tournaments.
Outside of financial gains for ETTU, there are no real benefits for the young European players in taking part in their Youth Series. No World Ranking points, overpriced hospitality fees, and much lower competition level, compared to the WTT Youth Contenders. The international table tennis schedule has been kind of a mess since the WTT appeared and ETTU seems to add even more chaos to it.
Another thing that ETTU seems to borrow from WTT is the conflict of interests and allowing officials to keep the leading positions in two organizations at the same time. It shows a lack of professionalism in an organization and creates a sense of bias and pushing forward specific interests, rather than working for the common goals. In the World Table Tennis case, we have seen this with Liu Guoliang, who is at the top of both – WTT & CTTA. And without a doubt, holding a high position in WTT can help Guoliang to push different initiatives in favor of his home country.
ETTU has an interesting example among its executive board members, who have clearly pushed some interests in favor of her country. If you look at the executive board’s list, you can see Ina Jozepsone among the vice presidents of ETTU. She is also president of the Latvian Table Tennis Federation. Since Jozepsone has been the vice president of ETTU, Latvia has suddenly gained some favors from ETTU. For example, the Riga City Council Cup has been added among the youth tournaments that receive European ranking points, alongside ETTU’s Youth Series. Recently, the 2027 European Veterans Championships were awarded to Latvia. And for those, who might not know – veterans championships are one of the most lucrative and desired tournaments for the organizers in table tennis. Thousands of people attend these tournaments, and one such tournament can generate more revenue (€55 160 in 2023) for ETTU than the Champions League (€30 000) and Europe Top 16 (€28 000) combined.
Why does a country with very bleak table tennis traditions get a chance to organize such a lucrative tournament? In the past 30 years, Latvian table tennis has produced only one world-class player – Matīss Burģis. At this peak, he was ranked 100th in the World Rankings, and he participated in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. However, Burģis has retired from the international arena since 2017, and since then, Latvia has been a below-average team on the European level. It does not make much sense to reward a country with zero success on the continental level and that does not have even a single professional table tennis athlete – with such opportunities. It’s also interesting what Latvian table tennis achievements Ina Jozepsone could present to get elected as a vice president of ETTU? Latvian table tennis level is behind its Baltic neighbors – Estonia and Lithuania, however, you don’t see their table tennis officials getting any high-rank ETTU positions or opportunities to organize major tournaments.
However, conflicts of interest and nepotism are common things in table tennis. Since it’s a niche sport, such examples do not get much public attention. ETTU’s tournaments do not have popularity within the broader audiences for anyone actually to make a buzz about it.
The same can be said about ETTU’s partnership with TT Cup. It’s one truly shady organization that has partnerships with several table tennis institutions and players, but it’s still unclear what kind of partnership could it offer for ETTU? Recently, there was an announcement about Europe Top 16 partnership. However, outside of this word salad about cheering and supporting, there are no specifics of what this support is going to be. A promotion on their website and social media? Paid sponsorship? Broadcasting? Zero clarity does not add any value to the overall image of ETTU.
In conclusion, whether it’s WTT, ETTU, or any other table tennis organization, it rarely looks good, professional, and fully invested in the development of this sport. Niche sports representatives have to work ten times harder to make it relevant for broader audiences, and unfortunately, selfish interests and biases often prevail and do no good for table tennis.
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Liang Jingkun is new leader of Team China for the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships
This year brought some major changes in table tennis. Chinese table tennis legends Ma Long and Fan Zhendong retired from the international arena, leaving an open question – who gonna lead Team China in 2025?
The obvious answer would be – Wang Chuqin or Lin Shidong. One is already a very experienced player and World Ranking leader, while the other is a rising star with great potential. However, the true leader of Team China before the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships, could be the one, who always has remained in the shadows – Liang Jingkun. Let me explain to you, why.
Liang Jingkun is a synonym for consistency. He has never been the fan favorite or poster boy for Team China, like, for example, Wang Chuqin. He has always been that third or fourth option on the Chinese roster. However, on the biggest stage, like the World Championships, Liang Jingkun has been one of the most consistent players in table tennis history: three consecutive World Championships, and three bronze medals in the singles event. Only 18 players in history have been able to achieve such a feat. Liang Jingkun is one of them.
Many all-time greats haven’t been able to have such a consistent run on the biggest stage. The German legend, Timo Boll won just two bronze medals in his long and successful career. Xu Xin also reached the semi-final stage twice. Another former World Ranking leader, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, has never won a medal in the singles event of the World Championships. So in this regard, Liang Jingkun has surpassed some truly respectable names, and he has a chance to make the fourth consecutive run.
He was a late bloomer, always behind the more talented and accomplished teammates, like Ma Long, Xu Xin, and Fan Zhendong. Slowly, but surely, Liang Jingkun took every chance he got at the World Championships and made the best out of it. In every one of his runs, Liang Jingkun lost to the eventual champion.
Let’s look back at these journeys. In 2019, he eliminated Fan Zhendong in the Round of 16, got past Koki Niwa in the quarterfinals, and was stopped by Ma Long in the semifinals. In 2021, he won against Hugo Calderano in the quarterfinals and a loss to Fan Zhendong stopped Liang Jingkun from reaching the final. Draw wasn’t really in his favor, since the other semifinal featured Truls Moregardh and Timo Boll. And finally, in 2023, he got wins over Darko Jorgic and Tomokazu Harimoto on the way to the semifinal, where it was once again Fan Zhendong standing in the way.
As you can see, the consistency has always been there. And from the current Team China roster, you cannot say the same about others. Wang Chuqin has only one World Championships medal on his resume, and we all remember his exit at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Lin Shidong has progressed a lot, but the 2025 World Championships will be his first experience in the singles event.
Of course, these two gonna be the frontrunners and potential favorites of the World Championships in the eyes of the majority. However, you cannot have confidence in their success, like it was before when Ma Long and Fan Zhendong were playing. Liang Jingkun might not have the potential to win it all, but at the same time, he’s the most experienced and reliable Chinese player right now. He is still at the peak of his powers, and his experience can play a major role in a decisive moment.
Hopefully, the Chinese international will have a successful year, and in the current circumstances, he will earn more respect and attention from the fans. 2025 Singapore Smash was a good example of fan favoritism. It was quite disappointing to see how fans were cheering for Wang Chuqin, whenever he won the point, and how they went completely silent when Liang Jingkun had a successful rally. He’s an all-time great player, fans should put some respect on his name. He deserves better.
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Stanislav Gomozkov – the father of the modern backhand
As with every sport, table tennis has seen the evolution of its athletes throughout the years. Eventually, it was polished into this concept of modern table tennis – a highly athletic and technical sport. Every element of table tennis had an athlete who at one point, gave a foundation for the development of a modern-day forehand loop, modern-day service and so on.
The Soviet international Stanislav Gomozkov was the father of the modern backhand. One of the leading European players of the 60s and 70s era, Gomozkov had the finest backhand in the World in his prime. He had a quick, sharp backhand stroke that earned him a lot of points.
Born in 1948, the future World and European champion got his first major accolade in 1965, winning the Soviet National Championships. In the final, Gomozkov was a clear underdog, playing against the more experienced Soviet international, Zigmunds Kalniņš. The outcome surprised many, and this title was the first step into more than a decade of a World-class career.
Up until 1977, Gomozkov was consistently a Top 20 player, reaching as high as 5th place in the World Rankings in 1967. For a decade, he was listed among the favorites of every major tournament in table tennis, often getting wins against some of the best players in the World. In doubles, Gomozkov was even better, eventually becoming one of the best doubles players of all time.
And it is no exaggeration. Together with Anatoly Amelin, Gomozkov won the silver at the 1967 World Championships, and a bronze medal at the 1969 World Championships. In 1975, he became a World champion in the mixed doubles event. Up until the fall of the Soviet Union, Gomozkov remained the only Soviet player to win a gold medal at the World Championships.
He also achieved an impressive record at the European Championships that still remains unbeaten. From 1968 to 1974, Gomozkov won four consecutive gold medals in the mixed doubles event. Together with Zoja Rudnova, they completely dominated this event. It’s a record that is very unlikely to be broken in the foreseeable future.
AdvertisementsAlthough Gomozkov had a solid forehand, the backhand was his trademark throughout all of his career. It was a solid prototype of the modern version. Not that polished yet, but already a great example to present it to the young players, as something to study and emulate. The Hungarian legend Tibor Klampar took the torch in the 70s and polished the backhand technique into an even more fast and efficient version. His backhand was later studied by such all-time greats, as Jan-Ove Waldner.
Eventually, the backhand and other table tennis elements did evolve to the modern standard. But table tennis fans shouldn’t underestimate the impact of players, like Gomozkov. The highlights from the 60s and 70s era are limited, and those might not look that impressive from the modern-day perspective. However, at the time young players were taking notes. Information was much more limited, and every chance to see a World-class athlete playing was very valuable.
Gomozkov’s playing style was quite uncomfortable for many of the leading players at the time. He had some memorable wins against Swedish table tennis legends. For example, at the 1973 World Championships in Sarajevo, Gomozkov eliminated the reigning World champion and World Ranking leader, Stellan Bengtsson. But this was just one of many impressive wins of his career.
Gomozkov peaked early and retired relatively young, at the age of 30. However, it was more of a forced retirement, since the Soviet team was keen to give a chance for the new generation of players. He got offered a coaching role instead. In the modern-day environment, he probably could’ve played for 5-6 years more, but the Soviet sports system was strict. If the management decides to retire someone, there is nothing an athlete can do.
The athletes from the Soviet Union did not have freedom, like their Western counterparts. They could participate in international tournaments only as long as they were members of the national team. Playing for the clubs, and earning money somewhere abroad was impossible to do.
Nevertheless, Stanislav Gomozkov retired as the greatest Soviet player ever. World-class career, numerous accolades, and some records that will never be broken. He impacted the evolution of table tennis and had a career worthy of remembering.
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17-year-old Sora Matsushima stuns Harimoto and wins the 2025 All Japan Table Tennis Championships!
The main favorite of the 2025 All Japan Table Tennis Championships (2025年全日本卓球選手権大会) went down in the semi-finals after a stunning performance by the young Japanese talent Sora Matsushima.
The Kyoto-born athlete has been on the rise in recent seasons, already making his way into the Top 30 of the World Rankings and cementing his place in the roster of the Japanese national team alongside Tomokazu Harimoto and Shunsuke Togami. This year, Doha will host the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships, and victory in the national championships is the first step in guaranteeing a place in Japan’s roster.
Matsushima did not face too much of a resistance on the way to his first national title. As one of the seeded players, he entered the competition in the Round of 64 with a win over Kohei Sambe (4-1). In the rounds, leading up to the game against the tournament’s favorite – Tomokazu Harimoto, Matsushima got past Asuka Machi (4-0), the experienced Maharu Yoshimura (4-1), and Kakeru Sone (4-2).
The semi-final turned out to be relatively one-sided. Harimoto had his moments here and there, but Matsushima was too consistent, and he cruised past the more experienced teammate with a score of 4-1. The final game against Hiroto Shinozuka was even more one-sided. Another 4-1 win and Matsushima could enjoy the emotions of being a Japanese champion for the first time. Who knows, this might be a new, exciting chapter in the history of this tournament.
Matsushima also confirmed his ambitions for the future, saying: “I felt disappointment that I couldn’t compete in the Paris Olympics, so I wanted to get a win against Harimoto on a big stage. I’m glad I was able to win. I’m determined to earn my spot and compete in the singles at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.”
Matsushima, however, wasn’t the only player that made some surprises in this tournament. Yuma Tanigaki also had a memorable run, getting past 2022 & 2023 champion Shunsuke Togami in the Round of 32 (4-3). Eventually, he managed to advance to the semi-final stage and secure his first medal in the All Japan Table Tennis Championships. He lost to the finalist Hiroto Shinozuka (1-4), but this tournament will still be something to remember for the 21-year-old Okayama Rivets player.
The 2025 All Japan Table Tennis Championships has definitely been a worthy spectacle, and it once again displayed the amount of World-class talent the Japanese table tennis can develop. If Matsushima keeps up his progress, he might become one of the dark horses of the 2025 WTTC and create some headaches for the leading Chinese players.
FINAL
Sora Matsushima
4-1 vs. Hiroto Shinozuka (11-9, 11-9, 11-3, 6-11, 11-3)1/2 FINALS
Sora Matsushima 
4-1 vs. Tomokazu Harimoto (13-11, 9-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-7) Hiroto Shinozuka
4-1 vs. Yuma Tanigaki (11-2, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9, 11-3)1/4 FINALS
Tomokazu Harimoto
4-0 vs. Yuta Tanaka (11-5 , 11-8, 11-7, 11-3) Sora Matsushima
4-2 vs. Kakeru Sone (3-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8) Hiroto Shinozuka
4-3 vs. Yukiya Uda (11-5, 11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9) Yuma Tanigaki
4-1 vs. Shunsuke Okano (11-8, 11-8, 11-13, 11-5, 11-4)Don’t miss out the news from Table Tennis Media, subscribing to our free newsletter and explore the premium content on our Patreon.
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World-class action at the 2025 All Japan Table Tennis Championships
The 2025 edition of the All Japan Table Tennis Championships (2025年全日本卓球選手権大会) traditionally features World-class players, such as Tomokazu Harimoto, and brings the finest table tennis spectacle.
Tokyo once again becomes the home of the Japanese National Championships and welcomes hundreds of the nation’s best table tennis talents. Two young and highly talented athletes have dominated the competition in recent years: Tomokazu Harimoto (who won in 2024) and Shunsuke Togami (2022, 2023). Overall, Harimoto has been more successful, winning a total of 6 medals versus Togami’s three.
Furthermore, both players have the potential to cement their success and become among the most accomplished Japanese players of all time. Japan has produced several World champions and table tennis icons in the past – Ichiro Ogimura, Shigeoh Itoh, and Mitsuru Kono are just a few of those legendary names. Tomokazu Harimoto has been among the World’s best players for years, and he has the potential to reach the peak heights.
Harimoto expressed a confident mood before the tournament: “Of course, I want to win consecutively, and continue winning, but because I won last year I don’t feel any extra pressure this year.”
Top-seeded players could enter the competition from the Round of 64 stage, while the majority of players had to begin their journey from the Round of 512 or Round of 256, depending on the draw.
One of the first major surprises of the tournament was Shunsuke Togami’s exit in the Round of 32. The former Japanese champion lost 3-4 in a nerve-racking game against Yuma Tanigaki. The fan-favorite Koki Niwa also was eliminated in the same stage of the competition.
The talented Japanese players Sora Matsushima and Yuma Tanigaki displayed very consistent performances throughout the rounds, and both of them earned a chance to win their first medal in the singles event.
Sora Matsushima eventually turned out to be the winner of this tournament, cruising past Tomokazu Harimoto (4-1) in the semi-final stage, and Hiroto Shinozuka (4-1) in the final. A great and memorable run for the 17-year-old talent, who has been on the rise in a recent year.
FINAL
Sora Matsushima
4-1 vs. Hiroto Shinozuka (11-9, 11-9, 11-3, 6-11, 11-3)1/2 FINALS
Sora Matsushima
4-1 vs. Tomokazu Harimoto (13-11, 9-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-7) Hiroto Shinozuka
4-1 vs. Yuma Tanigaki (11-2, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9, 11-3)1/4 FINALS
Tomokazu Harimoto
4-0 vs. Yuta Tanaka (11-5 , 11-8, 11-7, 11-3) Sora Matsushima
4-2 vs. Kakeru Sone (3-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8) Hiroto Shinozuka
4-3 vs. Yukiya Uda (11-5, 11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9) Yuma Tanigaki
4-1 vs. Shunsuke Okano (11-8, 11-8, 11-13, 11-5, 11-4)ROUND OF 16
Tomokazu Harimoto
4-1 vs. Taimu Arinobu (11-7, 11-13, 11-8, 11-3, 11-6) Yuta Tanaka
4-2 vs. Yuto Muramatsu (11-13, 11-9, 4-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4) Kakeru Sone
W:L vs. Kenji Matsudaira Sora Matsushima
4-1 vs. Maharu Yoshimura (11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8) Hiroto Shinozuka
4-1 vs. Takuya Jin (11-8, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8)
Yukiya Uda
4-0 vs. Tonin Ryuzaki (14-12, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9) Shunsuke Okano
4-1 vs. Kazuki Hamada (11-7, 11-8, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7) Yuma Tanigaki
4-3 vs. Taisei Matsushita (3-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5)ROUND OF 32
Tomokazu Harimoto
4-1 vs. Satoshi Aida (11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-2) Taimu Arinobu
4-1 vs. Yuto Abe (11-13, 11-8, 11-4, 12-10, 11-7) Yuto Muramatsu
4-0 vs. Norihito Ito (11-7, 11-9, 11-9, 11-3) Yuta Tanaka
4-1 vs. Kanta Tokuda (11-8, 11-7, 13-15, 12-10, 11-4) Kakeru Sone
4-3 vs. Taku Takakiwa (9-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-4, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9) Kenji Matsudaira
4-2 vs. Hiromu Kobayashi (11-7, 11-9, 11-5, 8-11, 4-11, 11-9) Sora Matsushima
4-0 vs. Asuka Machi (11-7, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5) Maharu Yoshimura
4-0 vs. Keishi Hagihara (11-6, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8) Hiroto Shinozuka
4-1 vs. Yuki Matsuyama (11-7, 7-11, 11-1, 11-3, 11-8) Takuya Jin
4-1 vs. Shohei Onodera (13-11, 11-9, 11-9, 12-14, 11-7) Tonin Ryuzaki
4-2 vs. Ryoichi Yoshiyama (4-11, 7-11, 11-4, 13-11, 11-5, 12-10) Yukiya Uda
4-3 vs. Kazuhiro Yoshimura (7-11, 14-12, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7, 6-11, 14-12) Shunsuke Okano
4-0 vs. Kazuki Yoshiyama (11-4, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8) Kazuki Hamada
4-0 vs. Masaki Kayama (11-9, 11-5, 11-5, 11-5) Taisei Matsushita
4-1 vs. Koki Niwa (11-9, 13-11, 12-10, 12-14, 11-4) Yuma Tanigaki
4-3 vs. Shunsuke Togami (11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 4-11, 6-11, 11-5)ROUND OF 64
Tomokazu Harimoto
4-1 vs. Yuma Tsuboi (11-3, 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9) Satoshi Aida
4-3 vs. Shunto Iwaida (11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 6-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9) Yuto Abe
4-0 vs. Shuhei Uchimura (11-6, 11-9, 12-10, 11-6) Taimu Arinobu
4-1 vs. Chiaki Takezaki (9-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5) Yuto Muramatsu
4-0 vs. Ryo Hakusan (13-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-6) Norihito Ito
4-1 vs. Takahashi Takumi (10-12, 11-5, 11-9, 12-10, 11-6) Kanta Tokuda
4-0 vs. Koyo Kanamitsu (11-4, 11-6, 11-8, 12-10) Yuta Tanaka
4-1 vs. Shin Ishiyama (9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6, 11-6) Taku Takakiwa
4-1 vs. Shuhei Suzuki (11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7) Kakeru Sone
4-2 vs. Fumiya Igarashi (11-9, 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 6-11, 11-8) Kenji Matsudaira
4-3 vs. Sota Noda (9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8, 2-11, 11-6) Hiromu Kobayashi
4-3 vs. Jo Yokotani (11-9, 5-11, 7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5) Sora Matsushima
4-1 vs. Kohei Sambe (8-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-8, 12-10) Asuka Machi
4-3 vs. Satoshi Eto (7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 10-12, 3-11, 11-8, 12-10) Keishi Hagihara
4-3 vs. Junichi Komatsu (11-7, 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-8) Maharu Yoshimura
4-2 vs. Yuta Fukuzawa (11-6, 11-4, 11-13, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8) Hiroto Shinozuka
4-2 vs. Soma Ono (11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 12-14, 11-9) Yuki Matsuyama
4-1 vs. Karasuta Higashi (11-4, 11-6, 11-7, 13-15, 11-5) Takuya Jin
4-1 vs. Aori Asatsu (14-12, 11-7, 11-9, 10-12, 11-8) Shohei Onodera
4-0 vs. Takahiro Aoyama (11-8, 11-5, 11-3, 11-9) Ryoichi Yoshiyama
4-0 vs. Kenta Tazoe (11-4, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7) Tonin Ryuzaki
4-2 vs. Takami Masaki (7-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9) Kazuhiro Yoshimura
4-0 vs. Yasukazu Ono (11-7, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6) Yukiya Uda
4-0 vs. Takahashi Takumi (11-9, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3) Kazuki Yoshiyama
4-2 vs. Yuya Oshima (7-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7) Shunsuke Okano
4-1 vs. Takuto Sato (11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7) Kazuki Hamada
4-2 vs. Yuhi Sakai (9-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6) Masaki Kayama
4-1 vs. Rikuto Maede (11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-7) Koki Niwa
4-2 vs. Shodai Miyagawa (6-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9) Taisei Matsushita
4-0 vs. Rinne Muramatsu (11-3, 11-9, 16-14, 11-5) Yuma Tanigaki
4-1 vs. Keiya Uemura (11-5, 11-9, 10-12, 11-6, 11-5) Shunsuke Togami
4-0 vs. Chikayoshi Masumoto (11-5, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6)AdvertisementsROUND OF 128
Yuma Tsuboi
3-2 vs. Takumi Tanimoto (5-11, 11-8, 11-4, 4-11, 11-6) Shunto Iwaida
3-0 vs. Aoi Yoshida (11-5, 11-6, 11-4) Shuhei Uchimura
3-0 vs. Kowa Nakamura (11-7, 11-9, 11-5) Chiaki Takezaki
3-0 vs. Ren Imaizumi (11-1, 11-6, 11-3) Ryo Hakusan
3-1 vs. Ayuma Matsuda (3-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5) Takahashi Takumi
3-1 vs. Shun Fujimoto (11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7) Koyo Kanamitsu
3-1 vs. Hayato Miki (11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9) Shin Ishiyama
3-1 vs. Yuji Kato (11-13, 11-0, 11-7, 11-9) Shuhei Suzuki
3-2 vs. Yu Kayama (9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7) Kakeru Sone
3-1 vs. Mizuki Oikawa (12-10, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8) Sota Noda
3-0 vs. Naoki Takada (11-7, 12-10, 11-8) Hiromu Kobayashi
3-1 vs. Yuki Kitamura (11-6, 10-12, 11-8, 11-6) Kohei Sambe
3-2 vs. Munehisa Iwanaga (6-11, 12-10, 11-2, 9-11, 11-6) Asuka Machi
3-1 vs. Takuto Izumo (11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 11-5) Junichi Komatsu
3-0 vs. Kensuke Kubo (11-8, 12-10, 11-4) Yuta Fukuzawa
3-2 vs. Shogo Matsui (9-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-8, 11-4) Soma Ono
3-2 vs. Tamito Watanabe (10-12, 11-7, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8) Karasuta Higashi
3-0 vs. Mahiro Funayama (11-8, 11-8, 11-7) Takuya Jin
3-2 vs. Yuto Kizukuri (8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 13-11) Takahiro Aoyama
3-1 vs. Hiroshi Hori (9-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-7) Kenta Tazoe
3-1 vs. Naoto Hamada (11-5, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7) Tonin Ryuzaki
3-2 vs. Hayate Suzuki (14-16, 11-2, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8) Kazuhiro Yoshimura
3-0 vs. Kaoru Yamagishi (12-10, 11-8, 11-9) Takahashi Takumi
3-1 vs. Yudai Miura (11-6, 12-10, 6-11, 11-6) Kazuki Yoshiyama
3-1 vs. Atsuhiro Horikawa (11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 11-6) Takuto Sato
3-2 vs. Shodai Sakane (11-8, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 12-10) Yuhi Sakai
3-1 vs. Yuma Niihara (11-6, 11-4, 8-11, 11-3) Rikuto Maede
3-0 vs. Yoshito Muranaka (11-6, 11-5, 11-5) Shodai Miyagawa
3-0 vs. Ryoga Sugiura (12-10, 11-4, 11-6) Rinne Muramatsu
3-2 vs. Yamato Sakurai (7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7) Yuma Tanigaki
3-1 vs. Naoya Onishi (11-3, 10-12, 11-3, 11-7) Chikayoshi Masumoto
3-1 vs. Taiga Tama (11-3, 11-6, 9-11, 13-11)AdvertisementsROUND OF 256
Yuma Tsuboi
3-1 vs. Yusuke Watanabe (11-4, 13-11, 8-11, 11-8) Takumi Takimoto
3-1 vs. Tomoki Menda (4-11, 11-3, 15-13, 11-5) Aoi Yoshida
3-0 vs. Yusei Tanahashi (11-8, 12-10, 11-7) Shunto Iwaida
3-0 vs. Norikazu Ogihara (11-5, 11-4, 11-3) Kowa Nakamura
3-1 vs. Tomoya Fujimura (11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4) Shuhei Uchimura
3-0 vs. Tenyoku Wakatsuke (11-6, 11-9, 11-8) Chiaki Takezaki
3-1 vs. Katsuya Yamamoto (11-7, 11-3, 9-11, 11-4) Ren Imazumi
3-1 vs. Ryoto Hijiki (11-9, 7-11, 14-12, 11-7) Ayuma Matsuda
3-0 vs. Masateru Yamamoto (11-6, 11-6, 11-8) Ryo Hakusan
3-1 vs. Kazushi Hoshi (11-6, 8-11, 12-10, 11-5) Takahashi Takumi
3-0 vs. Takemoto Hiratsuka (11-6, 12-10, 11-6) Shun Fujimoto
3-1 vs. Sho Kato (8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9) Koyo Kanamitsu
3-1 vs. Takumi Sato (11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7) Hayato Miki
3-0 vs. Takahiro Maki (11-9, 11-7, 11-4) Shin Ishiyama
3-2 vs. Kaito Fujimoto (11-8, 9-11, 4-11, 12-10, 11-8) Yuji Kato
3-2 vs. Ikuya Aoki (11-5, 8-11, 11-3, 6-11, 11-8) Shuhei Suzuki
3-0 vs. Kei Yamashita (13-11, 11-8, 11-9) Yu Kayama
3-0 vs. Ayumu Yamamoto (11-7, 11-7, 11-8) Mizuki Oikawa
3-1 vs. Asuka Sakai (4-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-4) Kakeru Sone
3-2 vs. Masami Yoshida (11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7) Naoki Takada
3-2 vs. Toshinobu Yoshida (11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-5) Sota Noda
3-0 vs. Kazuya Arai (11-9, 11-3, 11-8) Hiromu Kobayashi
3-0 vs. Ryo Kato (11-4, 11-9, 11-5) Yuki Kitamura
3-2 vs. Kazuya Sugimoto (8-11, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7, 11-4) Kohei Sambe
3-1 vs. Yukyo Saiko (6-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7) Munehisa Iwanaga
3-2 vs. Yasukazu Bando (11-13, 11-13, 11-5, 11-3, 12-10) Asuka Machi
3-1 vs. Ryo Okada (10-12, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8) Takuto Izumo
3-0 vs. Hiromu Nodo (11-8, 12-10, 11-3) Junichi Komatsu
3-0 vs. Kazuki Hashimoto (11-8, 11-1, 11-8) Kensuke Kubo
3-2 vs. Yusuke Sadamatsu (11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-13, 12-10) Shogo Matsui
3-2 vs. Hanaki Seiya (11-13, 11-8, 11-8, 13-15, 12-10) Yuta Fukuzawa
3-0 vs. Ryoma Tezuka (11-7, 11-5, 14-12) Soma Ono
3-2 vs. Hirotaka Ishiyama (4-11, 7-11 11-5, 11-8, 11-7) Tamito Watanabe
3-0 vs. Hibiki Tazoe (11-9, 11-7, 11-7) Mahiro Funayama
3-1 vs. Isa Maou (11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 12-10) Karasuta Higashi
3-2 vs. Kyotaro Tanaka (13-11, 4-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8) Takuya Jin
3-0 Hibiki Yoshimura (11-2, 11-4, 11-4) Yuto Kizukuri
3-1 vs. Yasuyasu Watanabe (11-6, 11-13, 15-13, 11-6) Takahiro Aoyama
3-0 vs. Kazuha Nakamura (11-2, 11-6, 11-4) Hiroshi Hori
3-2 vs. Yuuta Iimura (12-10, 8-11, 12-10, 11-13, 11-9) Naoto Hamada
3-1 vs. Daisuka Yoshida (12-10, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5) Kenta Tazoe
3-1 vs. Haruki Miyamoto (11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 11-1) Tonin Ryuzaki
3-0 vs. Takuma Takizawa (11-9, 11-7, 11-7) Hayate Suzuki
3-2 vs. Kohaku Nakano (9-11, 11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6) Kazuhiro Yoshimura
3-1 vs. Naoki Mitani (11-7, 4-11, 11-5, 11-8) Kaoru Yamagishi
3-1 vs. Toshinori Terashita (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7) Yudai Miura
3-0 vs. Takumi Shibahara (11-3, 11-6, 11-7) Takahashi Takumi
3-0 vs. Takaya Takari (11-7, 12-10, 11-6) Atsuhiro Horikawa
3-1 vs. Kotaro Seo (13-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-6) Kazuki Yoshiyama
3-0 vs. Kimura Hisho (11-8, 12-10, 11-7) Shodai Sakane
3-0 vs. Kei Hanami (11-9, 11-4, 11-9) Takuto Sato
W:L Takuto Shiba Yuhi Sakai
3-0 vs. Hiromitsu Kasahara (11-5, 12-10, 11-6) Yuma Niihara
3-0 vs. Yuta Aimura (11-8, 11-9, 14-12) Yoshito Muranaka
3-1 vs. Motoki Mawatari (12-10, 5-11, 11-6, 12-10) Rikuto Maede
3-0 vs. Seiya Sato (11-2, 11-7, 11-2) Shodai Miyagawa
3-2 vs. Tomoya Kimura (8-11, 12-10, 11-4, 10-12, 12-10) Ryoga Sugiura
3-0 vs. Sho Suzuki (11-9, 11-9, 11-6) Rinne Muramatsu
3-1 vs. Shuhei Fujii (8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6) Yamato Sakurai
3-0 vs. Osuke Shinoda (11-4, 11-8, 11-3) Yuma Tanigaki
3-0 vs. Takahiro Tamai (4-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9) Naoya Onishi
3-2 vs. Makoto Suzuki (11-5, 8-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-9) Taiga Tama
3-1 vs. Tatsuro Nakachin (8-11, 11-5 11-4, 11-8) Chikayoshi Masumoto
3-1 vs. Tsubasa Okamoto (11-8, 11-3, 4-11, 11-8)AdvertisementsROUND OF 512
Yuma Tsuboi
3-1 vs. Haruki Miyamoto (11-8, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4) Takumi Takimoto
3-2 vs. Takumi Kageyama (11-8, 8-11, 11-3, 4-11, 11-7) Aoi Yoshida
3-2 vs. Naoya Kawakami (6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8) Shunto Iwaida
3-0 vs. Shota Tahara (11-8, 11-9, 11-4) Norikazu Ogihara
3-1 vs. Kazuki Inoue (11-7, 11-9, 11-13, 11-9) Kowa Nakamura
3-1 vs. Shunsuke Tsukidate (9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-4) Tenyoku Wakatsuke
3-2 vs. Kenta Minamitami (6-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-4) Chiaki Takezaki
3-1 vs. Kazuki Hayashinaka (5-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-8) Ren Imazumi
3-2 vs. Seba Goto (11-6, 12-10, 6-11, 5-11, 11-9) Masateru Yamamoto
3-2 vs. Yuichi Tokiyoshi (14-16, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9) Kazushi Hoshi
3-0 vs. Takahashi Keita (11-8, 14-12, 11-8) Takemoto Hiratsuka
3-1 vs. Masahiro Fujita (11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 11-3) Sho Kato
3-0 vs. Shimamura Taikan (11-7, 11-9, 12-10) Koyo Kanamitsu
3-1 vs. Ko Okobu (11-3, 10-12, 11-9, 16-14) Hayato Miki
3-2 vs. Yuta Ito (11-8, 8-11, 3-11, 11-2, 11-8) Shin Ishiyama
3-0 vs. Yuhi Yoshida (12-10, 11-3, 11-3) Yuji Kato
3-2 vs. Riu Murakami (11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7) Shuhei Suzuki
3-0 vs. Mitsufumi Matsumoto (11-8, 11-8, 12-10) Ayumu Yamamoto
3-0 vs. Hironari Sadamatsu (11-2, 11-6, 11-9) Mizuki Oikawa
3-1 vs. Shota Suganuma (11-3, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5) Kakeru Sone
3-0 vs. Katsuhito Ishizawa (11-9, 11-1, 11-8) Naoki Takada
3-2 vs. Tomohiro Marukawa (11-7, 11-6, 4-11, 9-11, 11-5) Sota Noda
3-1 vs. Yuki Maekawa (6-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5) Hiromu Kobayashi
3-0 vs. Maeyama Sosuke (11-6, 11-4, 11-8) Kazuya Sugimoto
3-2 vs. Ryo Watanabe (10-12, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-4) Yukyo Saiko
3-1 vs. Isao Kawaguchi (11-9, 11-6, 3-11, 11-8) Munehisa Iwanaga
3-1 vs. Toshiki Kagami (11-7, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5) Ryo Okada
3-0 vs. Takeshi Takemori (11-3, 11-2, 11-5) Takuto Izumo
3-1 vs. Fukushima Tasei (11-5, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7) Junichi Komatsu
3-1 vs. Tajiri Ho (11-3, 11-9, 6-11, 11-0) Kensuke Kubo
3-2 vs. Yuuki Osawa (11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-5) Shogo Matsui
3-2 vs. Shun Yamagishi (11-6, 11-8, 12-14, 6-11, 11-8) Yuta Fukuzawa
3-1 vs. Masaaki Naito (9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-6) Soma Ono
3-0 vs. Sato Sora (11-5, 11-5, 11-6) Tamito Watanabe
3-0 vs. Junki Atae (11-6, 11-4, 13-11) Isa Maou
3-0 vs. Tomoya Yoshida (11-7, 11-8, 11-6) Karasuta Higashi
3-0 vs. Ryoya Fujita (11-4, 11-6, 11-5) Takuya Jin
3-0 vs. Suzuki Ibuki (11-5, 11-2, 11-5) Yasuyasu Watanabe
3-2 vs. Mizuki Iino (9-11, 11-8, 11-3, 7-11, 12-10) Takahiro Aoyama
3-1 vs. Daito Masaki (11-6, 11-6, 10-12, 11-2) Yuuta Iimura
3-0 vs. Haruki Harada (11-9, 11-8, 11-6) Daisuka Yoshida
3-1 vs. Sunao Nishimura (11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9) Haruki Miyamoto
3-0 vs. Haruki Michihiro (13-11, 12-10, 11-5) Takuma Takizawa
W:L vs. Yuma Hoshi Kohaku Nakano
3-0 vs. Kosuke Kano (11-3, 11-4, 11-6) Naoki Mitani
3-1 vs. Kosuke Ikeda (11-6, 11-8, 15-17, 12-10) Kaoru Yamagishi
3-0 vs. Keita Fujita (11-5, 11-7, 11-9) Takumi Shibahara
3-2 vs. Fuki Kumagai (11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 3-11, 11-5) Takahashi Takumi
3-0 vs. Sho Maizuru (11-4, 11-5, 11-4) Kotaro Seo
3-2 vs. Ryuma Miura (11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5) Kimura Hisho
3-1 vs. Yuki Ishii (11-4, 11-13, 11-7, 16-14) Kei Hanami
3-0 vs. Masao Haraguchi (11-8, 11-9, 11-8) Takuto Sato
3-0 vs.Motohiko Saito (11-7, 11-8, 11-5) Yuhi Sakai
3-0 vs. Kai Watanabe (11-8, 11-9, 11-6) Yuta Aimura
3-1 vs. Yashiki Dai (11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9) Motoki Mawatari
3-0 vs. Ren Nakamura (16-14, 11-9, 11-9) Seiya Sato
3-2 vs. Mitsuto Nakamura (11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8) Tomoya Kimura
3-0 vs. Tatsuya Isono (11-8, 11-3, 11-6) Ryoga Sugiura
3-0 vs. Soya Kitani (11-3, 11-7, 11-9) Rinne Muramatsu
3-2 vs. Yasuhiro Nishi (9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8) Yamato Sakurai
3-0 vs. Yoshiki Goto (11-5, 11-4, 11-5) Yuma Tanigaki
3-0 vs. Rento Kishimoto (11-1, 11-7, 11-6) Makoto Suzuki
3-2 vs. Tokunaga Daiki (3-11, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8) Tatsuro Nakachin
3-2 vs. Shun Tomizawa (8-11, 11-8, 12-14, 12-10, 12-10) Tsubasa Okamoto
3-2 vs. Hayato Takashi (11-8, 8-11, 13-11, 12-14, 11-9)Don’t miss out the news from Table Tennis Media, subscribing to our free newsletter and explore the premium content on our Patreon.
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Table tennis fans are standing up against the WTT and ITTF incompetency after Fan Zhendong’s retirement
After WTT forced Fan Zhendong into retirement, an initiative group Table Tennis Fans (TTF) took a deeper look into the structure of World Table Tennis and ITTF.
There have been plenty of complaints from fans and players against the WTT since its early days. Annoying camera angles, bad scheduling of the tournaments, forcing the TOP-ranked players to play in WTT tournaments, fines for missing the tournaments, and a completely absurd World Ranking system that favors WTT tournaments over the official competitions (Olympic Games, World Table Tennis Championships, etc.).
While all the major table tennis influencers kept their silence after Fan Zhendong’s retirement, TTF dug into a research of the documentation, related to WTT and ITTF structure, and finances.
And unsurprisingly, there are plenty of shady moments there.
Below, you can download the email that TTF sent to the ITTF president, integrity board, and some member associations, as well as the evidence supporting it.
If you care about the future of table tennis, not just the benefits from table tennis, as your favorite influencers do – share the TTF initiative and their research on social media. Spread the awareness, and share this information within the global table tennis community.
Silence and fake-friendliness in table tennis do major damage to the sport. Most athletes remain silent, influencers only care about their income and image. Only small groups of fans are standing up. Positivity campaigns on YouTube by influencers, and constant self-praise by the WTT create a misleading image about the state of table tennis. There is no progress, there is no growth in popularity. Table tennis is a niche sport and in most of the countries around the World, the only kids to pursue this sport are the ones, who don’t see a future in football, basketball, or any other well-paid sport. What parent in their right mind gonna invest their time and money to support a child’s journey for a chance to 10 years later win 300 euros in WTT Feeder? A chance to win those 300 euros is very narrow since reaching the professional level is very unlikely to happen for the majority of young athletes.
In any of the popular sports, such incompetency and driving top athletes away because of the awful job done by these organizations – wouldn’t go unnoticed. Table tennis is a niche sport and as long as its community will tolerate all the nonsense, it will never have a chance to grow into something more global.
The perception in the eyes of the majority will remain the same. Ask anyone who has 0 clue what this sport is. For the majority, table tennis is just a goofy, fun game for elderly individuals in the local clubs, or groups of friends who want to play it in the garage on Friday night, combining it with a beer pong competition. Silly, goofy, fun – the same as the paid voice of table tennis. Adam Bobrow – an influencer, many of you so passionately admire and defend in this situation. But rarely anyone looks at table tennis as a serious, highly technical, and spectacular sport that requires elite physical and mental skills to excel. Fun, snakes, and selling rubbers are all that matters. Is this how you want your beloved sport to be represented?
TTF Research about WTT/ITTF
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Fan Zhendong retired at his peak – as the best player of the 2024 season
The retirement of the 2024 Olympic champion raised many questions about WTT’s competency, but the fact remains that Fan Zhendong retired as the best player in the World.
As much as World Table Tennis tries to downgrade the importance of the major tournaments, such as the Olympic Games or World Table Tennis Championships – a triumph at these events remains the peak achievement of every table tennis player. No absurd ranking system can change this.
Fan Zhendong missed the second part of 2024, and after the Olympics, his only appearances were in the local Chinese competitions. In the first half of 2024, he had some losses, however, those don’t really matter since the commercial tournaments don’t hold that much value outside of ranking points.
Regarding the biggest event of 2024, Fan Zhendong was unstoppable on the way to his Olympic gold medal in the singles event. The only nerve-wracking match was at the 1/4 finals against the Japanese star – Tomokazu Harimoto. It took seven sets to find out the winner.
Other than that, the 27-year-old Chinese international took the most important title of 2024 and it should be valued more than any other success of the past year. Some might argue that Wang Chuqin had a better year with his World Tour final win and #1 spot in the World Ranking at the end of the year. However, he had some massive flops when it did matter the most. The Olympics was a true disappointment.
Fan Zhendong definitely has plenty left in the tank, and if not for the WTT incompetency and lack of respect toward players, he definitely would’ve been able to improve his legacy in 2025. It’s rare to see the best player in the World to retire at the peak of his powers. Nevertheless, he’s retired and now we can only look back and admire his past achievements.
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Shandong Weiqiao finishes the 2024 Chinese Super League season with a triumph & the third title in the club’s history
After all the buzz and controversy around Fan Zhendong’s retirement, the final day of 2024 brought us top-level table tennis from the Chinese Super League.
Unfortunately for the majority of neutral fans, the semi-final stage turned out to be quite one-sided, since Huangshi TTC and Shandong Weiqiao TTC did not get much resistance from their opponents. Both teams advanced to the final with confident wins, 3-1 and 3-0.
Chinese and international fans were very excited to once again see the former World Ranking leader – Xu Xin, in action for the Shanghai Zhongxing TTC club. Many had hopes that the combination of the legendary penholder and 2024 Olympic champion Fan Zhendong would lead Shanghai’s club to the finals. The reality, however, turned out to be different.
Xu Xin did not get a chance to play the singles game, losing the doubles matchup with Zhou Kai. The pairing of Liang Jingkun and Lin Yun-ju got a solid 3-1 win. But the main match-up everyone was excited to see, was Fan Zhendong versus Wang Chuqin. During the group stage, the Olympic champion was spectacular and won 3-1. In the semi-finals, Wang Chuqin got his revenge.
Whether Fan Zhendong was simply not having the best of his days, or it was the recent retirement and scandal around WTT that left its impact, one thing is clear – he was a shadow of himself. He got some spectacular points, but overall, Wang Chuqin was clearly better. In the third game, Liang Jingkun did what he was supposed to do, and brought a 3-1 win against Zhou Kai.
In another semi-final game, the young and talented Huangshi players had a slightly tougher time against Shantou Mingrun. Xiang Peng and Xue Fei lost the doubles against Lin Gaoyuan and Chen Yuanyu 0-3.
Nevertheless, Lin Shidong stepped up, winning both of his singles games 3-1 and 3-0, giving Huangshi two important points. The 25-year-old penholder Xue Fei also performed well, winning a win against the more experienced international and World Championships medalist – Lin Gaoyuan.
The final was a great chance for Huangshi to earn its first Chinese Super League title in its short history (the club was founded back in 2022). Shandong Weiqiao turned out to be too tough of a challenge for the talented youngsters.
The games turned out to be a great New Year present for the fans. Liang Jingkun and Lin Yun-ju had a really tough time against Xiang Peng and Xue Fei in the doubles, having some lucky points in the crucial moments and taking a crucial 3-2 win. Wang Chuqin followed this successful game with a nerve-wracking battle against Lin Shidong, who desperately needed to win this match-up so Huangshi could still hope for a positive outcome. The game eventually went into the fifth set and Wang Chuqin showed, why he’s now the number one in the Chinese roster after Fan Zhendong’s retirement. 3-2 win and Huangshi’s hopes for their first title quickly began to fade.
Xue Fei did his best to put up a fight against Liang Jingkun, but a 3-time singles medalist at the World Championships was simply too good. 3-1 and Shandong Weiqiao could celebrate the third title in the club’s history.
2024 CTTSL FINAL
3 –
Shandong Weiqiao TTC
0 – Huangshi TTC 
Liang Jingkun/Lin Yun-ju – Xiang Peng/Xue Fei 3-2 Wang Chuqin – Lin Shidong 3-2 Liang Jingkun – Xue Fei 3-12024 CHINESE SUPER LEAGUE RESULTS
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Good job, World Table Tennis! You forced the World’s best table tennis player – Fan Zhendong into retirement
WTT has once again shown that it’s a completely incompetent organization that has zero interest in the development of table tennis. Business over everything.
Fan Zhendong announced that he’s retiring from international competitions. The reigning Olympic champion. At the age of 27…
Those, who praised WTT for popularizing sport in the comments – are you happy now? Table tennis loses its best player at the peak of his powers. And the worst thing about it – there will be silence.
From the first years of WTT it was already clear that its system has flaws and WTT is simply a business scheme, hidden under good-sounding slogans of table tennis development and popularization. Can you imagine the UEFA Champions League forcing Lionel Messi out of the competition in his prime just because he got an injury or missed a few games? Can you imagine LeBron James being banned by the NBA due to load management? If we use analogies, it’s what happened in table tennis today. The rubbish system created by the WTT and backed by ITTF has forced Fan Zhendong out of the international arena.
Disgrace. Football and basketball at least have a strong media presence and journalists, who will criticize those organizations for every slightest mistake they make. In table tennis, it’s an empty void. Adam Bobrow is a paid puppet of ITTF and WTT. Outside of his clowning and being buddies with everyone, he will never speak up against any issues in table tennis. The same goes with Pongfinity, Table Tennis Daily, and other table tennis personalities with a large following. Let’s be friends, let’s promote WTT tournaments to sell some extra rubbers or get another selfie with Timo! Well done, lads!
If anyone wonders – what happened to Fan Zhendong, here’s an explanation of how it works in World Table Tennis in terms of World Ranking.
If you’re a top player – you MUST play in WTT-organized major tournaments. Reason A – you need those ranking points to be relevant before the major tournaments, such as the Olympic Games, the World Table Tennis Championships, and so on. Reason B – WTT needs you to get that money bag. To tell the sponsors: “Look, Fan Zhendong played at our Smash!” It’s all about money. WTT does not give a damn about players, their careers, or the development of it. In return, WTT gives laughable prize money that barely covers travel/coaching expenses for the majority of the players who compete in their tournaments. They even have the audacity to brag about the record sums being won in 2024! Wang Chuqin won $250 000! Some local Chinese tournaments have paid close to that in the past…
WTT has created an absurd system, where its tournaments are worth more than the Olympics, WTT, and continental championships. A system that forces players to participate in their tournaments or get fined if they don’t. Fan Zhendong won the Olympics, he’s still the best player in the World – but he decided to give it up and retire because of the idiotic system WTT imposes. Table Tennis is an individual sport where an individual cannot decide for himself – when to participate in a tournament or not. It’s absurd.
As long as organizations, such as WTT, ITTF, and ETTU will run table tennis and keep their money-oriented policies over the ones that should promote the sport and make it more attractive for young athletes – table tennis is doomed. Or does anyone actually believe that parents will be excited to send their kids into a sport that 10 years later will bring an opportunity to come back home with 300 euros won at the WTT Feeder?
Hopefully, after such news, there will be some public backlash from table tennis players/influencers, and fans. Some #BoycottWTT comments in their YouTube live streams and videos or something like that. If there will be zero pushback and attention, then don’t complain about camera angles or anything else. You get what you support. These are the table tennis news we currently deserve. Sadly.
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