Like all of you out there, I got hugely dissapointed since I was anticipating a classic down-the-wire ending in yesterday's MS Finals, ala ZN vs XXF. In the first 2 sets, TH played with a lot of finesse and skill. However, except in maybe one or two instances, the power in his smash was clearly absent. Perhaps this is an indication of LACK OF TRAINING AND FITNESS. On the contrary, LD showed us that he could adjust his game, which allowed him to claim the 2nd set. In the 3rd, TH's spirit was broken since he failed to adjust and probably ran out of gas. Any comments?
TauQUIT didn't run out of gas. His power was there all the way through the match. Lin Dan just upped the pace in the last set, just like he has shown to be able to do time and time again against Gade and LCW when it gets to the rubber. What TauQUIT did was act like a baby when he kept on getting caught out by the flick serve. When he got flicked again at 13-3 he just refused to play from there.
Japan Open 2006: TH is lacking fitness Hi smashmouth, I agree with you that TH is lacking fitness. TH is a player with great finesse and skill. And when he became tired in the 3rd set, everything crashed. Credit goes to LD for being able to take the 2nd set... and when he did, he knew the match is all his. Cheers... chris@ccc
LinDan feel kinda bored playing the 3rd set. He just can't believe that he can win it so easily. Its kinda Kill Joy for him to wrap the match that way. Anyhow its still a win for him.
Yeah, Taufik's smashes were lacking the usual power and very often he would choose to play a clear or drop in place of a smash which I thought was odd for him. But I can't figure out whether that was because of Lin Dan controlling the rally or Taufik not in form. I still think Taufik played well, and Lin Dan deserved his win, so well done to both of them!
Upping the pace Watching LD vs. TH, it seems LD can still up the pace through the 3rd set when necessary, while TH can't. This is different from endurance (keeping the same pace of movement). I wonder if there is a term for that 'sustained ability for sudden accleration of movement', and do you train differently for it?
Japan Open 2006, TH beat BCL & LCW Hi phaarix, Don't forget that in the Japan Open 2006, TH beat BCL and LCW to get to the Final. He is still very skillful and he is still one of the best players in 2006. Only when he gets fitter, then he will be able to claim to be the World Best Player. Cheers... chris@ccc
I agree. After TH's loss to LD, it's easy to forget that TH was able to beat quite a number of good players to get to the finals.
hehe, me again i'm tired of hearing TH lost attributed to lack of stamina and lack training, bologna. - if taufik lacks stamina in the third set, why didnt he use his superb talent and skills to finish LD off on the second set. Why did this 'talented' player want to play the rubber if he know he lacks fitness? Why? coz TH lack the skill, power, consistency, to beat LD. LD let TH win the 1st set as LD was toying with TH, checking what TH has since their last meet and what his tactic this time. That's why LD didnt panic at all, LD was in ful control since the umpire say 'play'. - if taufik lacks stamina and training, how come a real superb player, tony gunawan, plays SOOOO WELL after coming to USA? Tony has in fact gained weight while in the US, stamina not as good as when he was in the INA team. He has no good players to spar with, busy training other people than training himself and yet, Tony win 05 WC, copenhagen Open, plus many others. So taufik poor performance do to poor stamina and training is BS.
Japan Open 2006 MS: TH losing to LD Hi cooler, That is exactly what I have said. TH tried his hardest to beat LD in the 2nd set. But he failed. LD won the 2nd set with better play and skill. So, credit should go to LD for preventing losing his 2nd set, thus the match. We should all congratulate LD instead of feeling sorry for TH. LD was just a better player in that match. Cheers... chris@ccc
So, the reason why Taufik quit(and act like a baby) in the 3rd set... ..was because he got caught by the flick serve in the 2nd set..?!?!.. hmm, his power was there "all the way through the match"??...i(and am sure anyone else who watched it) didn't see any of it in the 3rd set??..not only his power, his whole game disappeared... .. And if LD can upped his game in the last set, then why can't Taufik??..
I finally watched the video. I noticed TH gave up in the 3rd set due to frustration. In the second set TH used his lethal weapons of tight net shots and forehand power smashing many times, LD was able to retrieve them almost every time and won the game. LD was even able to kill TH's net plays. TH had no anwsers to LD's power smashes throughout the 1st and 2nd games. As the match went on, LD's confident at the net grew such that he made 3 of his first 4 points in the 3rd game by net kills. At this point TH's confidence was deverstated, because the only advantage he had over LD had been seized by his opponent. He could not do anything but to give up.
So, basically...to sum up your post.. Taufik just doesn't want to "fight" anymore, if his opponent has finally figure out his game...No resiliency whatsoever from him, even after trailing only 4-5 points.?!?!.. And if so, what could be the "underlying" factor??..
it's me, back, again also.. hehe, so if you don't think "poor stamina and lack of training" from Taufik weren't factors, why wasn't he able to play and "fight" thru the 3rd set??..If he indeed has enough stamina, was fit, had enough training etc., shouldn't he prove it on the court/in that 3rd set??.. BTW, abt Tony, i believe he's been playing/competing in Denmark the last few weeks, hasn't he??..So, at least, he's been able to keep in "shape"..
Not the 2nd set, I'm talking about the last set at 13-3 is when TauQUIT stopped playing. Just because you can't get the opportunity to smash doesn't mean that you have lost any power on your smashes. Tell me at which point in the match did you think that TauQUIT lost power on his smashes? TauQUIT has never really been an explosive player, his game is more about deception and tight net play, if his net play isn't there then he doesn't get to smash, he simply weren't given the opportunity when Lin Dan upped the pace in the last set and started catching him on the flick.
hmm, i see i see...but do you really think Taufik quit playing by then or much earlier in the set??..I, personally, felt/noticed he completely stopped competing early on in the 3rd set.. hmm, i don't recall saying "Taufik lost power on his smashes"..I only said "not only his power, his whole game disappeared"; never mentioned abt his "smashes"..You also never mentioned any "smashes" either, but "power" yes...BTW, did you see any of Taufik's "power" left in the 3rd set??.I didn't; and if there was/were, it must've been almost undetectable, wouldn't you agree??... hmm, so does this mean Taufik never had to face any flick serve before?? And if he has, wouldn't he be able to adjust and prepare himself for that??..If i'm not mistaken, i remember he was given 2 or 3 or more flick serve by LinDan..
I'll leave that to personal opinion, but personally I feel that he was outplayed throughout much of the last set, and stopped playing at 13-3 right after he got flicked. No I would not agree, the smash at 11-2 seemed like a big ass smash to me, right at the back of the court without any jump, powered cross court pass Lin Dans defences. Unfortunitely for TauQUIT he did't get much of those opportunities. Let's be honest, he felt humiliated by a better player today and then stopped playing, I think that much is obvious to everyone.
I concur, but this is not the first time he's done that... ..if one has been following Taufik's career, he is not one who likes to rally and fight thru the whole match; esp. not known as a hard worker..I've mentioned this before that in comparison to his other compatriots(previous and current), he's biggest weakness arguably is his lack of fighting grit. He has all the rest in check: techniques and smarts. But when it comes down to grinding it out and getting into a rally, he will often succumb to it. That's why in a way, he prefers to play the simple game of net and smash, just to get it over with. And that points to 1 factor : his lackadaisical attitude towards training and being in shape(this is also well known). I mean what else is there to compensate that weakness other than by having his 2 strong attributes. But when it comes down to a "real" grind it out fight, against an opponent who is familiar wit his game, is much more "diligent" and can retrieve his shots, he would prefer to stray away from it and in extreme cases, just simply bailed out..(A good example of a player giving him fits was his match against a Shoji Sato in the recent Thomas Cup, eventhough at that time Taufik was just recovering from his back injury and Sato was probably pumped up to play him).. Of course, his only exceptions were 2 yrs ago in the Olympics and last yr's WC..But even then, he was also a bit "lucked" out..
Taufik did not want Lin Dan to celebrate in his usual style. After such an anti-climatic finish, Lin Dan can't just bring himself to put his shirt over his head. It's similar when you get a walkover or you opponent resigned halfway.
