The gold medal match and again it's LXR vs WSX in WS2. A must-win for PLA as they are 2-0 down to Jiangsu.
Once again, LXR drubs WSX, 21-14 and 21-9. It amuses me that they are close friends of each other and they play such contrasting styles; I should think they exchange pointers and learn each other's strengths. HBJ's loss to Liu Xin is a bit unexpected to me, I'd put it down to her inexperience. Hopefully,she's given more chances to gain international exposure to enrich her experience and uplift her game.
Eventually, PLA defeated Jiangsu 3:1 to emerge champion. Strangely, in their previous group meeting, PLA lost to Jiangsu by the same score, 3:1 though LXR beat WSX then. This time, PLA reversed their WS1 and WS3 players, i.e. switched Liu Xin with Jiang YJ as WS1 and WS3 respectively - the strategy paid off as He BJ who previously shocked Jiang JY in WS1 now lost to Liu Xin. I feel that the rule allowing each team to field their WS and WD in any order respectively,regardless of ranking,certainly introduces the element of luck in the final outcome. He BJ admitted that today in her loss to Liu Xin, she was lacking in experience and made too many errors mishitting her shots and acknowledged she still has a considerable gap with her seniors in the national team. Part of growing up and learning process, all right.
Incredible, in this gold medal Men's team tie, Chen Long suffered a shock defeat to Li Yu, 1:2. Now Fujian is 0-2 down, and Tian Houwei is struggling against Chen Jin who has just taken G1,21-19, for Jiangsu. THW looks fitter in build than before. But CJ is playing well.
THW's superior fitness saves him to level up, forcing the rubber. THW got to improve his net play, CJ's drop shots are pretty good.
Two matches apiece, Fujian is back in business but Chen Long's worry is not over yet until the 5th and final match is won.
Tomorrow begins the individual championships for MS, WS, MD, WD and XD (which wasn't included in the team event). Though the CHN Masters has been postponed to start on the 12th, I wonder those players - eight in each category because the 3rd to 8th placing playoffs will also have to be settled - who would have been playing intensely for the previous eleven days (for some of them at least) until the 10th and the 11th, how will they cope at the CHN Masters, both physically and mentally ?
Men's Team Final Videos Match 1: Chen Long vs Li Yu http://sports.cntv.cn/2013/09/06/VIDE1378477797797312.shtml Match 2: Liu XiaoLong/Liu Cheng vs Cai Yu/Xu Chen http://sports.cntv.cn/2013/09/06/VIDE1378478038038416.shtml Match 3: Tian HouWei vs Chen Jin http://sports.cntv.cn/2013/09/07/VIDE1378483320679366.shtml Match 4: Guo ZhengDong/Hong Wei vs Sun JunJie/Tao JiaMing http://sports.cntv.cn/2013/09/07/VIDE1378483919811768.shtml Match 5: Zhang Qi vs Qiu YanBo http://sports.cntv.cn/2013/09/07/VIDE1378487039023977.shtml
Many thanks for the links. Will appreciate it if you can also provide the links to videos of H B Jiao's matches, if any.
I saw Wang Lin's name for the individual WS title starting tomorrow but not Wang Xin's, a surprise for me. Has WL recovered completely but not WX ? But I thought it should be the other way round as WX has rested for about a year, much longer than WL who suffered her 3rd ACL injury a few months short of a year ago (in Nov'12 iirc)? Nevertheless, hope to see WX play at the CHN Masters which otherwise she may have to pull out if she feels physically stretched and/or mentally strained immediately after the CNG finals or 3rd to 8th playoffs held on the 10th Nov. No wonder WL didn't register for the CHN Masters, apparently to concentrate on the CNG, just as WX is presumably doing for the CM.
There's one here, courtesy of RedShuttle who first posted it at HBJ's thread which,unfortunately, I couldn't access. This is the one where she lost to Liu Xin playing an error-filled game due to her inexperience as she herself put it. http://sports.cntv.cn/2013/09/06/VIDE1378461359604552.shtml Hope to be able to view her other matches, esp the one where she beat Jiang YJ.
