1. Shandong Luneng--The Super Strong
I think Shandong Luneng has looked the strongest this season so far. The team has some player movements such as Ma Long joining the club for 9.25 million yuan transfer fee and the inclusion of Yan An who played for the champion winning team Shandong Weiqiao last season. The team also possesses the reigning men's doubles national champion Zhang Chao and Shang Kun, who had won crucial doubles matches for the team last season. Veteran Cui Qinglei and post-00 player Xu Yingbin are solid players on the team as well but with much star power on the team, it is not likely they will have the chance to play in most of the rounds. However, having the chance to work with such amazing players alone may be a great experience for them. With such a star-studded squad, I will be surprised if the team does not top the podium at the end of the season.
2. Tianjin Quanjian--A Brand New Squad
Yes, Shandong Luneng looks super strong this season but Tianjin Quanjian might challenge Shandong Luneng on a good day. The team has a brand new line-up this season, joined by the anchor of the 2017 CTTSL champion-winning team Lin Gaoyuan, the key player of Shandong Luneng Fang Bo, Ren Hao who previously played for Shenzhen Baoan and Zhu Linfeng who led Sichuan won the 2017 National Games team silver. The only members retained from the last season are Ma Te, the defender and Ma Wenge, the coach. This squad looks strong but my concern is how well would the new doubles partnership work for this team.
3. Shandong Weiqiao--The Defending Champion
The defending champion has lost 2 of their key players, Lin Gaoyuan and Yan An this season. In return, the team introduces 2 new players, Liang Jingkun (2018 men's singles national champion) and Liu Dingshuo who both are less experienced but excel in powerful loops and aggressive banana flicks. The other members on the team, Xue Fei and Xia Yizheng had fairly good chemistry in doubles last season and will bring that champion-winning experience into this season. I do think this team as well the previous 2 teams mentioned above will have a high chance of making to stage 2. As these teams have top players who are capable of securing 2 points for the team and solid players who are likely to seal the victory and put them at the top of the leaderboard after stage 1.
4. Bayi Nanchang-- MVP on the Team
Bayi Nanchang placed second in 2017 season but might not enjoy such lead this season. Zhou Yu's lack of inclusion on the team has impaired Bayi Nanchang's chances of making to the second stage which determines the champion of the league. It's not all gloom and doom though, the team still has the MVP of last season, Fan Zhendong, to rely on. Yet, it will be a tough season for Fan Zhendong with more pressure and a smaller margin for error as the team is younger and less experienced than ever. We might see Zhou Kai stepping up to compete in both singles and doubles matches and Zhao Zhaoyan, the 2016 junior boys' singles national champion who has been a bench player for 2 CTTSL seasons, getting more opportunities to prove himself. Also competing is 16-year-old Xie Congfan who is at his first CTTSL season. He has recently made to the national B Team after a national team selection trial and the CTTSL experience will definitely help his table tennis career for the year ahead. I think making to stage 2 is a realistic goal for Bayi Nanchang given they have a very reliable player Fan Zhendong leading the team. Winning the league seemingly is not the team's main goal this year but to expose young players to high-level tournaments like CTTSL and create generations who can win champion in years to come.
5. Shanghai Zhongxing-- No Longer a 3-Man Band
Depth was a problem for Shanghai Zhongxing last season but with the inclusion of long-time CTTSL players Cheng Jingqi and Liu Jikang, the team is finally no longer a 3-man band. However, this has not lifted the burden from Xu Xin's shoulder as the other players on the team might not be comparable to Xu Xin's ability to secure 2 points for the team. The good news is the new penhold-shakehand doubles collaboration has been working quite well so far. Zhao Zihao and Cheng Jingqi defeated the men's doubles national champion 2-1 in round 1. The best of 3 game format and a shorten decider match in the doubles match did add randomness to the results but it is still a good start for Shanghai Zhongxing. I would say the team's standing will largely depend on Xu Xin's performance, which might be affected by other factors such as frequent World Tour assignments at the end of the year.
6. Bazhou Hairun--The Y2Klub
CTTSL has always been a stage for young athletes to make their name out there since the frequent travelling and jam-packed competition schedule can be demanding for older athletes who need more time to recover and have more international competition assignments. In this season Youth Olympic champion Wang Chuqin will be leading a very young squad featuring Yu Heyi, Niu Guankai, Cao Wei and Sai Linwei. Among them, Niu Guankai does not have a list of achievement on his resume but his junior career has been incredibly promising. It is very likely that we will get to see him playing more singles matches in this season since one of the team's former key player Liang Jingkun has transferred to Shandong Weiqiao. Given the potential of the youth, this team could be a total surprise of the league.
7. Shenzhen Baoan--A Solid Balance Team
Shenzhen Baoan has placed 6th for 2 consecutive years which is quite satisfying considering their roster but will be looking for improvement this season. The incoming of Zhou Yu could be a big help for the team. The other 3 members are the experienced veteran Hao Shuai who can always be counted on for both the singles and doubles, the 2018 Czech Open men's singles champion Zheng Peifeng and Xu Chenhao who can shock out top players on a good day but he can be quite inconsistent as well. I do not think Shenzhen Baoan will be high on the list to make the second stage but a solid 4-man-squad provides room for them to play around with the line-up.
8. Anhui Langkun-- The Same Young Team
There weren't a lot of changes for Anhui Langkun as most of the key players are retained from the last squad. They are Yu Ziyang, Zhou Qihao and Zhu Cheng, nonetheless, the Olympic champion Chen Qi coaching the team. Yet, the team welcomes a new member, post-00 penholder Xu Haidong to compensate for the loss of defender Liu Yi who has recently retired and become a coach of Shandong Weiqiao. This is Xu Haidong's first season at the CTTSL and I look forward to seeing him earning chances to play for the team at the league since he has played quite a number of junior competitions while his performances at the open category don't exactly stand out to me. I believe the team will finish in the mid-range after stage 1 while making to stage 2 would be quite a feat for them.
9. Jiangsu Zhongchao-- Many potentials to Unveil
The number of players on Jiangsu Zhongchao out counts the other teams but it isn't always the more the better. We don't know if Dimitrij Ovtcharov would compete in CTTSL this season since he hadn't last season even his name was on the roster. This leaves to Zhang Yudong, Yang Shuo, Sun Wen and Kong Lingxuan to step up to the plate. These young players have gained experience from the last season and will be opting for better standing. The team has the potential to surprise us. Beside of Zhang Yudong and Yang Shuo who have solid skills, 1997-born Sun Wen who is quick in his transition and powerful in counter-loops from both wings is the one to watch out. He was the 2015 boys' doubles Youth National Games champion and 2017 men's doubles Chinese National Games semifinalist (partnering Zhang Yudong) and made the national A team a few months ago through a national team selection trial. His national team entry is considered a very late one as most of his national team compatriots made theirs at the age of 15-18. Yet he made his name out there by defeating Fan Zhendong with a clean 3-0 victory in round 1 against all odds. Due to a lack of depth, the team needs to cross their fingers for some exceptional performances from the entire team if they want to stay out of the bottom ranks.
10. Sichuan Changhong--Team with the Most Penholders
It's rare to see penholders in high-level competitions while Sichuan Changhong has 3 (Xu Hui, Yan Sheng and Kuang Li) on the team. The return of Xu Hui, 2005 Chinese National Games mixed doubles champion (partnering Guo Yue), excites many long-time Chinese table tennis enthusiasts as he has been playing at the Swedish league but not at CTTSL for quite awhile. Yet, I am more interested in watching Kuang Li who has received several opportunities to compete at the world junior circuit and is one of the promising young athletes coming up. Meanwhile, Yan Sheng's penhold style pip-out forehand is intriguing to watch as always. Penholders aside, Xu Ruifeng will take a crucial part in carrying the team. He did once a month ago, winning over Xu Xin and took Team Sichuan to the quarterfinals at the 2018 Chinese Nationals. I don't know what to expect from this team and will be happy as long as they have played their best. Since the team has ended last 2 years in a row and the loss of its ace player, Zhu Linfeng, is yet another blow for the team.
It's certainly exciting to see how this season will go on. Winning the league champion is no easy feat for teams of promising young players when the top teams are starred by Olympic and World champions but the CTTSL is always full of surprises. I hope this overview helps you to know more about each team and the league. Check our 2018 CTTSL Guide which gives you an extensive information kit including a full schedule, links to related articles, history and past champions about CTTSL. Let us know your pick in the comment box below! A companion piece about the women's team will be posted tomorrow. Stay tuned.
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