The national table tennis team is really stirring things up. Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng have all suddenly dropped out of the world rankings, yet Liu Guoliang still supports them. This makes the lineup for the Singapore Grand Slam quite interesting, with Lin Shidong and Kuai Man suddenly becoming the main characters, and their partners have all been changed.
This has caused quite a stir, with Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng suddenly collectively withdrawing from the world rankings, leading everyone to speculate if there's any inside information. However, it's not hard to understand that these veterans do need to adjust their competition rhythm, as their age is indeed a factor, and playing so many matches is indeed exhausting.
Liu Guoliang's statement this time can be considered as giving everyone a reassurance. In essence, he's saying that these veterans can participate in competitions whenever they want, and it's completely fine to use wild cards. Moreover, he hinted that WTT's policies are indeed somewhat unreasonable. These words make it clear that he's speaking on behalf of the athletes.
The rules set by the International Table Tennis Federation are indeed quite troublesome now, especially for such established players. They've already won grand slams, yet they're still bound by these ranking points rules, which is indeed not very appropriate.
In this situation, withdrawing from the rankings actually seems quite wise, as it allows them to adjust their state well and not be tied down by those cumbersome rules, which might even allow them to perform better.
Lin Shidong is truly remarkable. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he has suddenly emerged, and his second place in the world rankings is no joke. It now appears that the men's team of the national table tennis team really needs such fresh blood.
For the Singapore Grand Slam, three events have been arranged for him, indicating that he is to be cultivated as a key player. Especially pairing him with Wang Chuqin for men's doubles, this combination is indeed quite interesting.
Lin Shidong was previously paired with Lin Gaoyuan, but now he's suddenly switched to Wang Chuqin. This is definitely aimed at the Los Angeles Olympics, as Wang Chuqin is currently the mixed doubles champion, with his technical prowess evident.
Kuai Man is lucky to have caught a good time. After Chen Meng withdrew from the rankings, it's obvious that the women's team needs new players to step up. This time, she's directly paired with Wang Manyu for women's doubles.
Although Wang Manyu was ranked first in the world when paired with Chen Meng, recombining with Kuai Man might not necessarily be a bad thing, as young people may more easily develop new chemistry between them.
This time, Kuai Man will also play mixed doubles with Lin Shidong, and they are even the top seeds, which is quite stressful. However, young people should seize such opportunities and push forward.
It now seems that the national table tennis team is about to undergo a major reshuffle. Although Ma Long and the others haven't retired yet, it's clear that they want to give more opportunities to the younger generation.
The promotion of Lin Shidong and Kuai Man indicates that the national table tennis team is already preparing for the Los Angeles Olympics, after all, Ma Long and the others will not be young by then.
This kind of generational transition is actually quite challenging for the coaching staff, as they need to take care of the veterans' states while also providing opportunities for newcomers. This balance is indeed not easy to maintain.
Surprisingly, the mixed doubles champions Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha are not participating this time, seemingly allowing them to focus on singles play. This also shows that the national table tennis team is really trying out various possibilities.
On the women's doubles side, due to Chen Meng's withdrawal, Wang Manyu needs to find a new partner, which has unexpectedly made the South Korean pair of Tian Zhixi and Shin Yubin the world's number one. This change is indeed quite dramatic.
However, to be honest, such a major adjustment might actually be a good thing, as only by trying out different combinations can we find the most suitable match.