Every year, Chinese table tennis players represent their clubs to compete coast to coast at the Chinese Table Tennis Super League. It's not just an opportunity for table tennis lovers to meet high-level players and watch world-class matches but chances for athletes to test out their skills and prove themselves. Going into the 2018 season, there are 10 teams on each the men's side and the women's side with over 90 players, some have been to the World Championships and the Olympics while others are making their way to realize their dreams, but all, no matter veterans or newcomers, will strive their best to contend for the top prizes. We are excited to introduce them to you. This article will showcase the line-ups and strengthens of each women's team at 2018 CTTSL.
1. Shandong Luneng-- So Close to Champion
Shandong Luneng's women's team has won the most league titles among the teams with a total of 5 titles (in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2014) under their belt. They came so close to the league champion in the last 2 years but had to settle for second because Wuhan Hundred Percent was just too good to beat with Liu Shiwen and Feng Yalan winning almost every match. Shandong Luneng is missing Zhu Yuling and Gu Yuting, who helped the team to make a second place finishing in two consecutive years but the inclusion of Wang Manyu and Chen Xingtong, both won 2018 Team World Cup champion earlier this year may get the team a good start this season. I believe we will get to see Wang Manyu and Chen Xingtong taking the crucial role of winning matches for the team but I would love to see Fan Siqi playing the decisive 5th match as she has proved herself a reliable player who can play under pressure done when it counts last season. The three young players together with Liu Gaoyang, Guo Ruochen and defender Liu Fei form a young but very strong team with tremendous depth to beat this season.
2. Qilu Jiaotong-- Strong as Always
Despite losing Chen Xingtong and Wu Yang, Qilu Jiaotong is in a really strong place as a team thanks to the inclusion of Zhu Yuling, who moved for a staggering fee of 8.05 million yuan, and Gu Yuting. The team also has a great blend of the experienced such as Wen Jia and Li Jiayi who can step up whenever needed and the youth like Shi Xunyao who has lots of potentials to be unveiled. I believe the team can make a big leap from its 5th place finishing in 2017.
3. Hongan Niuye-- The New 'Defending Champion'
Longfu Huanneng is officially renamed as Hongan Niuye this season. Ending 9th place last season, the team has become the favourite of the league this season because it has introduced half of the champion-winning squad including MVP of the last season Liu Shiwen, Feng Yalan and Qian Tianyi. It also included He Zhuojia who played for Shenzhen University last season. It's a new squad for Hongan Niuye but team members have worked together in the past seasons so the collaboration would not be a problem for them. Liu Shiwen will be likely the top contributor and Feng Yalan securing scores in both singles and doubles matches. I'm not sure if He Zhuojia gets the chance to play in most of the round since the line-up is pretty strong already. Anyways, if He Zhuojia gets to compete, I highly recommend you spare a few minutes to watch her matches. She has pips on her backhand side which allow her to create wacky returns. Her ability to return balls from both wings and sustaining long rallies simply makes her matches enjoyable to watch. Although they are not quite the defending champion they have hopes of bringing home a league champion.
4. Shenzhen University--Solid and Consistent
Shenzhen University has the potential to be high on the list to make stage 2. The squad is pretty similar to the last season except Liu Weishan making up for the loss of He Zhuojia. Although it is almost the same old squad, I expect some changes from this team. Since Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha have gone through Asian Games and other major international tournaments meanwhile Wang Yidi has gained chances to compete at World Tours. Hopefully, they will bring these experience into this season.
5. Beijing Shougang-- The Unfulfilled, Small But Ambitious Goal
Beijing Shougang aimed at finishing top 3 in the 2017-2018 season but it placed 8th at the end. Indeed, achieving the goal was quite a feat when the top teams usually have at least two strong players who can score big for the team while Beijing Shougang heavily relied on Ding Ning. In this season, the team lost Sheng Dandan to her retirement and joining in is defender Wu Yang who may bring the team a step closer to the goal this season. However, the CTTSL competition schedule is notorious for its packed and demanding schedule, maintaining the stamina to survive the long CTTSL season would be a challenge for Ding Ning and Wu Yang. Their younger teammate, Guo Yuhan was quite impressive last season. She stood out in her quick backhand rallies and I am looking forward to seeing more this season. Generally speaking, they still need some excellent performances to make to the top 3 but isn't it more exciting to know that there's a goal unfulfilled?
6. Bayi Nanchang-- The Dark Horse
While the previous teams are likely to make to stage 2, I would not count out Bayi Nanchang. Its line-up may not sound as star-studded as the previous teams but it can be a surprise factor of the league. A tight match against the top team, Qilu Jiaotong in round 1 has told how strong this team could be. Judging just from the first few rounds, Sun Mingyang seems to have picked up the role to be the key contributor of the team. Her dynamic short-pip backhand punches and powerful strokes are phenomenal. She together with her teammates Mu Zi brings tons of experience with her and Chen Ke, the solid player for doubles form an integral part of the team. I think this team would impress and surprise us when they hit.
7. Zhongzhou Dianlan-- Juggle Between Leagues
Changbai Mountain Rural Commercial Bank is now renamed as Zhongzhou Dianlan. The team was the dark horse of the last season, finishing at the unexpected third place. However, losing their ace, Wang Manyu and Chen Ke means it would be a challenging season for them if they want to repeat last year's achievement. It is reported that Feng Tianwei and Yuan Xuejiao would also join the T-League, a Japanese table tennis league which has invited world-class athletes from different associations scheduled to be commenced in late-October. Practice makes perfect, experiences from the T-League may help the players but it could be exhausting for them to juggle between leagues and international competitions. Fingers crossed and let's see where would this team end.
8. Shanxi Datuhe-- Team of Diversity
Shakehand, penhold, defence... as you can name. While this team is not likely to end up at the top of the leaderboard watching different playing styles might be the reasons for following their matches. The two penholders Zhang Qiang and Mu Jingyu could give us a rare glimpse of how penhold could be played in high-level women's matches. It might not be the incredible looping that Xu Xin plays way back behind the table or quick reverse backhand flip that Xue Fei and Xu Haidong, often use in competitions but some efficient forehand attack and intricate soft touches near the net. The two penholders aside, Hu Limei the chopper and Che Xiaoxi are also interesting to watch.
9. Sichuan Qionglong-- The Climb
Sichuan Qionglong may not be the front-runner of the league but they might move up the rankings this season. Yang Huijing made to the women's singles quarterfinals at the 2018 Chinese Nationals and qualified to the national A Team. On the other hand, Guo Yan took home a women's singles title at the 2018 Nigerian Open challenge series. It is a year of growth for the young players and I wish they and Yuan Yuan, Yang Yuxin and Lin Chia-Chih will join forces vying for a higher finishing this season.
10. Wuhan Hundred Percent-- The Downfalling Defending Champion
It was sad to watch Wuhan Hundred Percent drops all the way from a multiple-league champion to the bottom of the leaderboard but it was not surprising when the team has lost half of its champion-winning squad, all of whom played a big part in taking home the league title. The loss of Liu Shiwen, Feng Yalan and Qian Tianyi has impaired the depth of the team leaving 2018 Qatar Open U21 champion Zhang Rui and Zhang Binyue, the post-00 player who shocked out Ding Ning in the team event at 2018 Chinese Nationals to step up to the plate. The team has also included 2 Hong Kong paddlers, Lam Yee-Lok and Zhu Chengzhu (Hong Kong veteran Tie Yana was listed on the drafted roster but not on the official site after round 3) but they were not with the team in the first two rounds meaning that the team did not have enough players on court and had to forgo 2 of the 5 possible matches in each round. Apparently, Wuhan Hundred Percent does not have the depth which matches last year so it may be more realistic not to expect the team to repeat last season's success but young players showing their potentials.
It used to be all came down to Wuhan Hundred Percent and Shandong Luneng for the league champion in the last 2 years. Meanwhile, with some player movements, some teams have been coming close to match the top teams while some were left far behind this season. From a table tennis enthusiast's perspective, it is cool to see the competition has been heated up but I hope teams would also focus on developing an integrated program that trains up generations of players instead of bidding two or three highly competitive players ready to go. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day, pouring money in player transactions is too limited an approach to ensure lasting dominance. Until then, it's one big game of cat and mouse and it seems like the mice won't take over anytime soon but it's certainly exciting to see them playing some high-level matches.
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 and read the companion piece about the men's team just in case you've missed it. Last but not least, let us know your pick in the comment box below!
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