A very late preview but hopefully it's not too late and will help you enjoy the 13th Games more! (check out the CNG intro, XD preview and WD preview and MD preview and WT preview and MT preview here). Since the draw of team events (knock-off stage) and singles event were announced on 29 August, there are not much time for me to write separate previews. So this will be a brief preview regarding the singles event and team event (knock-off stage).
The Singles
Competition Format
The singles event will consist of a knockout format, starting with the round of 32. Every match is played under a best of 7 games format.
The Draw
24 athletes qualified through the preliminary round held in late March will join athletes who have made to the top 3 in 2016 Olympics or 2016 or 2017 World Championships or World Cup Finals to compete in the main draw of the singles event. The main draw is shown as follow.
Men's Singles
Women's Singles
I have to admit the previews of the singles event is the toughest to write. The 'Big 4' aside, it is really hard to pick 4 other players who have an obvious advantage in making into the quarterfinals. After all, this is the Chinese National Games, anyone who has qualified to this stage are among the best players in China and that's also why the competition is so intense!
Yes, it is hard to predict who will make to the podium but as a responsible blogger and preview, I will name a few that I personally think is interesting to follow. Please forgive me if I have not name your favorite athletes and comment in the comment box below!
The Big 4
History has told us, the singles champions at the Games are usually the key player of the Chinese National Team. Deng Yaping in 1993 and 1997, Wang Nan in 2001, Zhang Yining and Wang Hao in 2005 and 2009, Li Xiaoxia and Ma Long in 2013 are either the reigning Olympic champion at that time or the core of the national team and have won numerous champions at international competitions for Team China. So IF nothing goes wild the champion should go to one of the Big 4.
Women's
Ding Ning has a pretty good 2017 so far, she won 2017 women's singles champion at WTTC and China Open. The decent international results have proved Ding Ning is still very competitive after accomplishing her gram-slam dream in the Rio Olympic. Challenging her in the same quarter will be 17-year-old Sun Yingsha who won 2 gold medals at 2017 Japan Open and has been undefeated in the first stage of the team competition. Sun Yingsha lost to Ding Ning 1-4 at 2017 China Open took place this June. She said her goal is to win over Ding Ning. Sun Yingsha has room for improvement in order to catch up Ding Ning but who knows whether the underdog will surprise us in the quarterfinals?
Zhu Yuling has won 3 women's singles national champions in the last 3 years and looking to earn the 4th one at the 13th Chinese National Games. We have seen her making huge improvements on her aggressiveness and speed at the WTTC and China Open. Wang Manyu, played in numerous World Tours and T2 , was drawn to to the same quarter which Zhu Yuling belongs to if the 2 athletes do not lose, they will play against each other in the quarterfinals which should be an exciting match.
Liu Shiwen has an uneasy 2017. She did not compete in many international competitions early this year as the national team has posed an international competition suspension on her. Nothing horrendously bad but nothing extraordinarily good at the international competitions but it does not mean she has no chance of winning the title. She played a 11-match winning streak in the Marvellous 12, Chinese Trials for WTTC, which means she is very competent in winning her national teammates. Feng Yalan, the player who played the amazing switch-hand loop in the Marvellous 12, may be a challenge to Liu Shiwen in the round of 16. As her forehand pivot is powerful and you never know when is she going to play some out-of-the-box shots like the one in the Marvellous 12. Let's not forget Wu Yang, the best female chopper in China. It seems that choppers are doing great at the 13th Games with the 729 ball. Choppers in China are often treated as practice partner rather than promising athletes. Will Wu Yang prove herself among the best athletes at the Games?
Chen Meng was assigned to compete in many World Tour in 2017. She is the only member from the Chinese national team who has competed in 5 World Tour. She is also the only person among the Big 4 who has played in the women's singles final at the Games. Chen Meng has a pretty good draw but it does not mean no challenges at all. He Zhuojia who surprising won over Chen Meng is also in the same quarter. The more heard competitor in her quarter will be Doo Hoi Kem from Hong Kong. Chen Meng has not been doing well in stage 1 of the team events as a result, the defending champion bowed out early in stage 1. Will this give more time Chen Meng to come out of the mist? If she managed to do well, she will probably be facing Liu Shiwen (if they make to the semifinals)at the semifinals. They are familiar with each other and Chen Meng won Liu Shiwen at the 2017 Asian Championships. So making to the semifinals is not a mission impossible. Chen Meng's goal is to improve on her results from the last Games (she placed 2nd behind Li Xiaoxia in 2013). Fingers crossed and let's hope she will have a satisfying result at the singles to compensate the disappointment at the team event.
Men's
In the men's side, contenders of topping the podium are most likely among members of the Big 4 as well.
Ma Long coming into the competition as a defending champion. He won over Fan Zhendong with a 4-3 comeback at the 2013 Chinese National Games. He has a slow start in 2017 having a sub-par performance in the Marvellous 12, the Chinese Trials for WTTC, and a shocking defeat at the men's singles competition in Asian championships. However he fought strong in the WTTC and won himself his second men's singles world title, after a 7-game match with Fan Zhendong. Zhang Chao and Zhou Yu (2016 men's singles national runner-up) are some competitive athlete in the first quarter but Ma Long should have no problem of winning them, especially Zhou Yu who lost to Ma Long 0-3 at the team event.
Zhang Jike has won numbers of titles in all kinds of competition but a men's singles National Games champion is definitely a title that he would like to add to his collection. He has not been at his best shape so far in 2017. He bowed out early in WTTC and China Open. His performance in the Games will be decisive in whether he will play one or two more seasons. Zhang Jike will only play in the men's team and men's singles event. It is not a demanding schedule for him but I'm not sure how ready is he playing in the extremely intense men's singles competition as in the team event he lost to Zhang Chao and Lin Gaoyuan. Fortunately he has a pretty good draw. The quarter where he belongs to is full of young athletes. Other than Zhang Jike, we shall pay attention to Wong Chun Ting from Hong Kong and Wang Chuqin, the post-2000 representing Beijing, who may have a chance of making to the semifinals.
Xu Xin came third in the last Games and will be eager to make improvements on that result this year. He also secured a third place in the men singles event at WTTC. He saved 5 match points in the decisive 7th game in the round of 16 in the men's singles at the WTTC against Lin Gaoyuan. Lin Gaoyuan did not qualify for the Chinese National Games men's singles event but many young athletes are looking to pull down Xu Xin from the Big 4 as his backhand has obvious loopholes. There are young athletes, Yu Ziyang, Zhou Qihao and Xue Fei as well as the more experienced athletes, Hao Shuai and Fang Bo in the third quarter challenging Xu Xin.
Fan Zhendong came so close in winning a gold in the last Games. It was also only a 2-point defeat in 2017 WTTC men's singles finals. The 20-year-old is technically ready for clinching the champion. It comes down to whether he has learnt from his past experience and romp to victory. Another concern for Fan Zhenjiang is his energy level. He is the only Big 4 who will compete in 4 events (contender of making to the finals in all 4 events as well). It will be a challenge for him to survive the hectic competition schedule. The biggest challenge for Fan Zhendong before reaching the semifinals would be Liang Jingkun. Liang Jingkun is one of the young hopefuls in the Chinese National Team and has assigned to compete in many World Tour. Despite his disappointment in the team events, he is the few athlete who has won over Fan Zhendong.
Mixed emotions arise when I look at the draw of the singles event. There are athletes who I think will have a shot in making to the podium but the cruel reality is that there are only 3 spots for medalling in the competition. It would be better that we put the results aside and enjoy the skillful technique and amazing shots played by the athletes at the Games.
Team Event
I know it's getting a bit long but here are a few more sentences about my thoughts on the knock-off stage of the team events.
Each team match consists of the best 3 out of 5 matches (New Swaythling Cup system, 5 singles). Each match is played under a best of 5 games format.
Women's Team Draw
Are we going to see a replica of 2016 Chinese Nationals women's team finals? The 2016 national team champion (Sichuan) will be playing against the runner-up (Shanxi) and the match will be streamed by CCTV5 at 14:00 (GMT+8) on 30 August. The match between 2 young teams Hebei and Heilongjiang will be also an interesting match to follow. The Hebei team and Heilongjiang team are led by Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu respectively who are promising young athletes in the national team. Team Beijing (having their ace, Ding Ning) and Team PLA (overall a competitive team with Mu Zi and Hu Limei anchoring the team) are 2 competitive teams which hope to win a medal at the Games but I am not going to make to many expectations as this is the Games where any things can happen.
Men's Team
It is a very interesting draw. As the quarterfinals is a very close match for every team. Team Sichuan and Henan should be happy with the draw as they do not need to play against the big teams like PLA, Beijing, Guangdong at the quarterfinals. Another fun fact is that the top half of the draw is actually the top 4 teams at 2016 Chinese Nationals. Last year, Team Shandong swept PLA 3-0 without having Zhang Jike competing. Will history repeat or will PLA make a revenge? The match will take place 19:00 (GMT+8) on 30 August. CCTV5+ will be streaming the match between Beijing and Guangdong at 19:00 (GMT+8) on 30 August and the lineup of the match is world-class (featuring Ma Long, Yan An, Liin Gaoyuan and Zhang Chao). The winner of the match should be able to win the semifinals with less challenges and headed to the finals.
Are you ready for more exciting matches? We have information of who, when and how to follow the Games in our daily recap/previews. Comments below so that we can make improvements on it and feel free to talk about your thoughts on the Games.
Xu Xin's backhand alone is his secondary problem. He leaves he forehand wide open when he jumps to his right and EVERYBODY is trying to take advantage of this unbalanced habit. Despite that I still beleive he and FZD will be in the final.
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