I'm going with Gill's theory that they've been spending more time on the party/interview circuit than on the practice court.
But still, it's not a skill that needs to be constantly practiced... like riding a bike, it should already be permanently ingrained... I lost count of how many points lost due to her poor serves... probably at least 8 points per game!
Wow that third game was a mess. They lost more or less from their own mistakes, Misakis horrible serves goes without saying but both of them started putting lots of shots in the net as well, particularly playing in the front court. The Chinese dude (named shin gai in phonetic Japanese) proposes to the lady (named as ka shi; she says yes, what the heck else could she do on live broadcast...). The Japanese TV host asks them if they, as girl athletes, admire/yearn for that kind of scene. Misakis says "as for me, I'd hate it". The title of the YT clip means "The sensible faction Matsutomo-chan who dislikes stupidly show-offing/attracting attention". The description reads "As expected she's the possessor of the reservation and sense befitting a Japanese person and female badminton player." Jeez, I can't imagine who would actually enjoy being put on the spot like that.
Apparently it's been a recurring issue, including at Rio. In the WD gold medal final MM was having the same problem which Gill pointed out at the time, the difference being this time the Danes had clearly identified the weakness and were ready and waiting for it.
I agree with you- regardless of the pressure I think serves are probably the most basic skill professional players like them should master. But I noticed MM has been struggling with low serves, even in Rio she has had the tendency to do flick serves. Well done to the Danes who won the gold medal, they continued the momentum and managed to exact sweet revenge. I'm not sure what got on to AT/MM but it seemed like they just gave up in the third match. Did anyone find the umpire quite annoying? I'm not sure what warnings he kept giving MM but he also rushed CP when she wanted to fix her shoelaces...which I think was a little uncalled for.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/...all-danish-pair-olympic-rematch/#.V-h1vYh9670 "Takahashi said she has lacked preparation, as well as motivation, since the Olympics." Lacked motivation since the Olympics- really? Shouldn't they be even more motivated to continue their success post Olympics, especially on home ground? Seeing this and their performance on court re-affirms their time spent on celebrating rather than preparing for the tournament.
It makes a lot of sense to me what Takahashi and Matsutomo said on the article. Their minds were out of the competition, experiencing a lot of the after Rio events and relax time. The Danes wanted revenge and were well prepared this time to have the lead. Playing home must have felt more like exhibition event for them (to please their fans as they said) than something moving their hearts, I am glad they walked into the final and did 3 games even with that mindset. Expect the Denmark Open to be more balanced and combative!!
too much partying not good for game, not easy to maintain focus after achieving your greatest dream, the rest of the goal seems so small such neglect-able.
I think there must be a feeling of "what now?". They've spent more than 4 years aiming for Olympic gold, and now they've achieved it, it will take some time for them to identify a new goal.
For starters MM can work on her serves- they've been shocking and will have devastating effects if she continues that way...
She's been that way for a long time now, but she has her ups and downs. Presumably it's a completely mental issue.
It's nothing compared to top ranked tennis players, but seems like Japan is rewarding badminton players quite well: The girls appeared on some game show:
I think it's harsh to say they can't celebrate their epic Olympic win, and to be fair they made it to the finals so it is a good result in it's own right... I just thought being in home ground they'd have had more desire to extend and claim another crown
For those who can read Chinese, I thought this article took a pretty un-biased stand on current WD players.
Oh look, it's almost a proper translation this time. Matsutomo's grandfather: She put in too much strength and became unable to stand, that was a first. Never had any experience like that. Narrator lady: We were able to witness her grandparents' reaction the moment when they took the gold medal. Grandfather: They (Matsutomo/Takahashi) said they definitely can't lose at this crucial stage. It thankfully became like that, but I was surprised at the deep emotion and happiness. Narrator lady: Her grandparents talk about one reason Matsutomo was able to become world number one is that she hates losing. Grandmother: She's diligent. She studies with all her might. And she's good at drawing. Number one/first at everything. Even going into the house she'd borrow the key and be the first. Grandfather: Misaki won't settle without being the first to do something. That's where she's different. Narrator lady: Matsutomo's badminton talent was discovered when she became a member of the "boy scout" group Aizumi Angels in primary school. Tiny Matsutomo (3rd grade): I got into the best 8 this summer, so I want to work hard to be able to leave an even better record behind. Narrator lady: We spoke with the people who were 'classmates' with Matsutomo in Aizumi Angels at the time. Dude: I was the top male player in the prefecture (for the age) at that time, but I have a feeling I wouldn't win. I was always told to raise my heels when playing matches. To raise the heels is something you might normally forget when you're a grade schooler. I remembered getting scolded and so I would raise them, but she always, every time, had her heels raised. Because of things like that I felt there was something different even from primary school. Narrator lady: The coach for Aizumi Angels, Fujimoto Shin, felt a different quality/character from her than from the other children. Coach: I think she started when she was a senior in pre-school. I had the impression that, despite being so small, she was fast at running, and also that she had "spring" (the coil, not the season). That's what I thought at the time. I got angry a lot, but even when I got angry she listened to what I said properly. She was different from the other children in that she understood from me saying it once. She doesn't use many words (i.e. she was quiet). She always kept the attitude of never giving up to heart, even during the Angels' practise. She has an amazing determination to win. Even if she's five points behind she'll never give up. Narrator lady: Matsutomo sent a thankful message to Fujimoto from Rio. Coach: What I got in reply was "Thank you very much for all the support every day! The current me exists thanks to the Angels. Truly, thank you very much." I am very happy that she's fighting even in Brazil's Rio without forgetting the Angels. Grandparents' Interviewer: What will you do when she comes back? Grandmother: Ah, what will we do? Let's hug her?
Thanks @nemrod! I was initially a little confused when you said "boy scout" group but finally realised it's the badminton club MM almost comes across as a silent assassin...quiet personality but yet very competitive and hates losing. Not a good idea to be in her bad books.
