It can be hard to follow every match in details, so we write you this 2020 CNT Mock Olympics catch up, sourcing replays and highlighting exciting matches from each day of competition, to help you save some time without missing the best moment of the tournament.
We apologize if we haven't included those you think are spectacular. Let us know in the comment section below! So, here you go, the matches we personally think you should catch up.
Catch Up (updates made at the end of every competition day)
Day 14 (Aug 21): Clean Sweep Victory, Team 1 Claims Gold
Day 12 (Aug 19): MT: Top Teams Secured Final Places With Few Hiccups
*WT Team 7: Wu Yang injured her back and was substituted by 2005-born Xu Yi in the semiinal
Day 11 (Aug 18): MT: Disappointing Exit for Team 3; WT: Team 1 Book Final Places
Day 10 (Aug 17): Top Teams Progress
Day 9 (Aug 16): Ma Long's Back In Form On First Day Of Team Competition
August 16 Schedule Announced!!!
Day 7 (Aug 14): Liang Jingkun Roars His Way To Victory, Xu Chenhao Withdraws
Men's Singles
Liang Jingkun has the upper hand in the match in general but it doesn't shut the door for Wang Chuqin. Wang Chuqin had a great chance of extending his lead in game 2 when Liang Jingkun made a few errors after holding a commanding 9-3 lead. Wang Chuqin made his way to 10-10 but gave away the next 2 points bring it back to a leveled playing field. Liang Jingkun was the one who has made less unforced error and more variations, along with a bit of lucky points, he walks away with a 4-2 victory and claims the men's singles champion of the 2020 Mock Olympics.
Watch: Men's Single Finals: Liang Jingkun 4-2 Wang Chuqin
Men's Singles Bronze Medal Match: Injury forces Xu Chenhao to miss medal podium
Fan Zhendong, scheduled to play Xu Chenhao in the men's singles bronze medal match, received a walkover and placed third in the men's singles at the 2020 Mock Olympics. Xu Chenhao said his neck and right shoulder goes tingly when he plays at a high intensity. He has tried acupuncture, massage, conditioning training and has taken painkiller since the end of last night's competition but the pain is still bothering him today. The injury withdrawal is a difficult decision for him and he hopes to make a miraculous recovery just in time to compete in the team event which is just 2 days away.
Day 6 (Aug 13): The Rising Sun Tops Women's Singles Podium
Women's Singles
It's all beyond words! Without further ado, enjoy!
Watch: Women's Singles Finals: Sun Yingsha 4-3 Wang Manyu
Watch: Women's Singles Bronze Medal Match: Wang Yidi 4-3 Chen Meng
Watch: Women's Singles SF: Wang Manyu 4-2 Chen Meng
Watch: Women's Singles SF: Sun Yingsha 4-1 Wang Yidi
Men's Singles
Look at that long fast reverse pendulum down the line served by Fan Zhendong at 5-5 in game 4! It seems that Fan Zhendong has upgraded his arsenal of services. The match is not just about pure power but a combination of strength and strategy..
Watch: Men's Singles SF: Liang Jingkun 4-2 Fan Zhendong
This is almost a replica of last night's quarterfinals for Wang Chuqin. It just so happens that his opponent's name has changed from Yan An to Xu Chenhao but nothing surprising. Xu Chenhao pulled his shoulder muscles after staging a spectacular match against Xu Xin yesterday, so he holds back a bit and does not pose too many challenges for Wang Chuqin. The intensity of this 28-minute match is uncomparable to the other semifinals matches played today.
Watch: Men's Singles SF: Wang Chuqin 4-0 Xu Chenhao
Day 5 (Aug 12): Shocking Defeat, Xu Xin Is Out
Men's Singles
Perhaps inspired by the round of 16 played between Xu Xin and Quan Kaiyuan, Xu Chenhao goes all out from the very first point and put up the biggest upset of the meet by far. He shocks out the no.2 seed, Xu Xin, with a landslide victory. Xu Xin is a bit slow in his footwork and has not come out ways to handle Xu Chenhao's wild and powerful smashes. It is sad that Xu Xin's counter loops did not do the magic in the match...
Watch: Men's Singles QF: Xu Chenhao 4-0 Xu Xin
Don't judge the match just by its result. There is an air of smart play by Fan Zhendong and Yu Ziyang who know where to place the ball and when to go aggressive. In short, it is impressive! It seems to me that Yu Ziyang has gained much more power after the closed-door training, perhaps this is one of the factors that contributes to such a captivating match.
Watch: Men's Singles QF: Fan Zhendong 4-1 Yu Ziyang
Liang Jingkun has a slow start in the first game but, once he survives the first three attacks in the later games, he has the advantage over Lin Gaoyuan when it comes to long rallies.
Watch: Men's Singles QF: Liang Jingkun 4-2 Lin Gaoyuan
My arm hurt when I was watching the 7 games of chopping and looping but it is worthwhile. Hou Yingchao wows us with spinny chops, sudden big forehand attacks and heavy side-spin forehand loops and ,in return, Yan An plays a good combination of long and short shots along with a varied mix of angles in this belated round-of-16 match. Although there are quite a number of unforced errors, especially in game 7 when both athletes seems to have ran out of steam, it is a real pleasure to watch this match in general.
Watch: Men's Singles R16: Yan An 4-3 Hou Yingchao
Women's Singles
Coming from the same provincial team and knowing each other very well, Wang Yidi and Chen Xingtong start off the match as if it is just another practice session with backhand counter being the main theme. The match is a fast and furious one but I would love to see more varieties being played. It is Wang Yidi who has the upper hand in the match as she is more powerful in her strokes (don't miss the mind-blowing defensive backhand punch behind the table at 2-4 in game 3) and possess a more aggressive style taking the initiative to play the step around forehand. She wins 4-2 and secures a spot in the semifinals.
Watch: Women's Singles QF: Wang Yidi 4-2 Chen Xingtong
Gu Yuting starts off slow in the first 2 games but when she pulls herself together in the later games, she performs some incredible counter against Wang Manyu.Watch: Women's Singles QF: Wang Manyu 4-2 Gu Yuting
Tidbits: Xu Xin's Second Chance
A defeat in the quarterfinals doesn't imply the end of the world for Xu Xin. There is still the team event coming up on Sunday, August 16. With Ma Long's body condition remains uncertain, it is crucial for the other two team members, Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin, to step up to the plate. If Xu Xin is able to resolve his problems just in time for the team event and seize the second chance of proving himself a reliable player on the Olympic team, the setbacks he faced in the singles would become valuable assets for him in the upcoming competitions.
Day 4 (Aug 11): Ma Long Withdraws, Other Top Seeds Progress
The highly anticipated match played between Ma Long and Hou Yingchao was originally planned to be staged at eleven in the morning. It was then rescheduled for nine thirty in the evening but it didn't happen at the end because Ma Long withdraws the competition due to a neck issue.
Ma Long twisted his neck muscles during warm up in the morning session. After careful consideration, he decides not to compete in the men's singles but if the recovery goes well, he might compete in the men's team which will commence on 16 August. Ma Long said in an interview that with no competition for most of 2020, he looked forward to the Mock Olympics but might have pushed a little bit too hard during the warm up, especially knowing that his opponent is a chopper, Hou Yingchao. Coach Qin Zhijian said the coaching team has two plans in mind at the moment, having Ma Long to compete in the team competition after a withdrawal in the singles or substituting Ma Long with the P-card player in the team event. Both arrangements are permitted by the regulations of the Olympics. The coaching team and team doctor will monitor Ma Long's body condition closely and assess his body condition before allowing him to compete again.
Men's Singles
Fan Zhendong usually dominates the competition with powerful strokes but Zhou Yu makes it hard for Fan Zhendong with his versatility. The fault service called at game 4 is the turning point of the match and Fan Zhendong does not let go any opportunity.
Watch: Men's Singles R16: Fan Zhendong 4-2 Zhou Yu
Quan Kaiyuan has an aggressive start as if he is going to crash the ball at any point. This put him to an unexpected 1-0 lead. Xu Xin looks calm and composed as always, He slows down the rhythm of the competitions in the next few games and wins it 4-1.
Watch: Men's Singles R16: Xu Xin 4-1 Quan Kaiyuan
Never overlook the potentials of Zheng Peifeng. He is very good at playing those counter loops behind the table and has a close contest with Liu Dingshuo and Wang Chuqin in the round of 32 and round of 16 respectively.
Watch: Men's Singles R16: Wang Chuqin 4-2 Zheng Peifeng
Watch: Men's Singles R32: Zheng Peifeng 4-3 Liu Dingshuo
Xu Xin has a confident start in the first 3 games but seems to have lost his focus in the next two. Fortunately, there is room for error in the round of 32. Surviving severe test in all three events (mixed doubles, singles and team) would be a challenge for the 30-year old veteran. He might need to play smart and work on his endurance to make through it
Watch: Men's Singles R32: Xu Xin 4-2 Zhou Kai
Women's Singles
It is a slow start for Chen Meng again. She makes her way back from a 0-2 deficit.
Watch: Women's Singles R16: Chen Meng 4-2 Fan Siqi
Sun Mingyang poses some serious threats to Wang Manyu. Despite the loss, her backhand punches are impressive.
Watch: Women's Singles R16: Wang Manyu 4-1 Sun Mingyang
Meet the 16-year old rising star, Chen Yi. She is not as well-rounded as Sun Yingsha at the moment but her lightning speed and solid backhand counters are outstanding.
Watch: Women's Singles R16: Sun Yingsha 4-1 Chen Yi
A rare and exciting penhold-vs-shakehand counter in the women's side.
Watch: Women's Singles R16: Qian Tianyi 4-3 Qi Fei
We haven't seen Feng Yalan competed for quite a while. It seems that she is not at her peak, so Shi Xunyao wins herself a spot in the A Team quite easily in the match.
Watch: Women's Singles R32: Shi Xunyao 4-1 Feng Yalan
Tidbits: Mock Olympics, Stepping Stone to National Team A
Coach Qin Zhijian confirmed in an interview on CCTV that athletes who have advanced to the round of 16 of the singles events will be promoted to the A Team. In other words, Quan Kaiyuan, Qi Fei, Shi Xunyao and Chen Yi have made to the A Team of the national team. Congratulations!
Fan Zhendong usually dominates the competition with powerful strokes but Zhou Yu makes it hard for Fan Zhendong with his versatility. The fault service called at game 4 is the turning point of the match and Fan Zhendong does not let go any opportunity.
Watch: Men's Singles R16: Fan Zhendong 4-2 Zhou Yu
Quan Kaiyuan has an aggressive start as if he is going to crash the ball at any point. This put him to an unexpected 1-0 lead. Xu Xin looks calm and composed as always, He slows down the rhythm of the competitions in the next few games and wins it 4-1.
Watch: Men's Singles R16: Xu Xin 4-1 Quan Kaiyuan
Never overlook the potentials of Zheng Peifeng. He is very good at playing those counter loops behind the table and has a close contest with Liu Dingshuo and Wang Chuqin in the round of 32 and round of 16 respectively.
Watch: Men's Singles R16: Wang Chuqin 4-2 Zheng Peifeng
Watch: Men's Singles R32: Zheng Peifeng 4-3 Liu Dingshuo
Xu Xin has a confident start in the first 3 games but seems to have lost his focus in the next two. Fortunately, there is room for error in the round of 32. Surviving severe test in all three events (mixed doubles, singles and team) would be a challenge for the 30-year old veteran. He might need to play smart and work on his endurance to make through it
Watch: Men's Singles R32: Xu Xin 4-2 Zhou Kai
Women's Singles
It is a slow start for Chen Meng again. She makes her way back from a 0-2 deficit.
Watch: Women's Singles R16: Chen Meng 4-2 Fan Siqi
Sun Mingyang poses some serious threats to Wang Manyu. Despite the loss, her backhand punches are impressive.
Watch: Women's Singles R16: Wang Manyu 4-1 Sun Mingyang
Meet the 16-year old rising star, Chen Yi. She is not as well-rounded as Sun Yingsha at the moment but her lightning speed and solid backhand counters are outstanding.
Watch: Women's Singles R16: Sun Yingsha 4-1 Chen Yi
A rare and exciting penhold-vs-shakehand counter in the women's side.
Watch: Women's Singles R16: Qian Tianyi 4-3 Qi Fei
We haven't seen Feng Yalan competed for quite a while. It seems that she is not at her peak, so Shi Xunyao wins herself a spot in the A Team quite easily in the match.
Watch: Women's Singles R32: Shi Xunyao 4-1 Feng Yalan
Tidbits: Mock Olympics, Stepping Stone to National Team A
Coach Qin Zhijian confirmed in an interview on CCTV that athletes who have advanced to the round of 16 of the singles events will be promoted to the A Team. In other words, Quan Kaiyuan, Qi Fei, Shi Xunyao and Chen Yi have made to the A Team of the national team. Congratulations!
Day 3 (Aug 10): Xu Xin & Sun Yingsha Crowned Mixed Doubles Champion
Mixed Doubles
The bronze medal match is a rather short match. The real competition starts at game 5 and ended at the sixth. While the first 2 games of the match start off as if it is going to be a one-sided match favoring the no.1 seed Fan Zhendong / Chen Meng since the returns of Lin Gaoyuan / Sun Mingyang have opened the door wide for their opponents. Lin Gaoyuan / Sun Mingyang regain composure at the later 2 games with better control in ball placement and level the game to 2-2. As for the last 2 games, I'm not going to spoil it for you. Enjoy the match in the link below.
Watch: Mixed Doubles Bronze Medal Match: Lin Gaoyuan / Sun Mingyang 4-2 Fan Zhendong / Chen Meng
The last 2 games of the bronze medal match has been wonderful, and the finals is simply the cherry on the cake! The see-saw match is brilliantly played and has left me speechless. The victory will be a shot in the arm for Xu Xin who has secured a mixed doubles spot at the Tokyo Olympics. As for Wang Chuqin / Wang Manyu, despite the loss, I think they have shown maturity and great prowess throughout the match. I am impressed!
Watch: Mixed Doubles Finals: Xu Xin / Sun Yingsha Vs Wang Chuqin / Wang Manyu
Men's Singles
Main draw decided. Liu Dingshuo, Niu Guankai and Ren Hao claimed the last 3 spots
Close contest played between Liang Jingkun and Xue Fei in the round of 32.
Watch: Men's singles R32: Xue Fei Vs Liang Jingkun
Women's Singles
Chen Meng faces serious challenge from the 18-year old, Li Yake in the round of 16. Coach Li Sun asked Chen to treat it as if the real Olympics during game break.
Watch: Women's singles R32: Chen Meng 4-2 Li Yake
An exciting 7-game thriller played between penholder, Qi Fei and shakehander, Li Jiayi.
Watch: Women's Singles R32: Qi Fei 4-3 Li Jiayi
Tidbits: Solutions to avoid fault service
The umpires at the Mock Olympics are very strict with the serves. Whenever there are signs of ball hiding or ball toss with more than 30 degrees from vertical / less than 16 cm a service fault will be called. Yesterday, we mentioned that some athletes choose to challenge a point which they believed has been called incorrectly but many fail. In order to save points and save the chances of using Table Tennis Review (TTR), some choose to switch to another kind of service. High toss serve is of the options to go to, as it tends not to violate the 30-degree and 16-cm rule. (You might need to shuffle a few steps to reach the ball if you throw a high toss serve with a deviation over 30 degrees from vertical) However, the quality of high toss service may be easily affected by the surroundings (lighting and the air flow of the arena). Taking consistency into account, backhand serve may be a better option as it may avoid ball hiding problem as well. In the round of 32 of men's singles competition Fan Zhendong plays quite a number of backhand serves against Zhang Chao. I couldn't recall if a warning on serve was made but he might be trying it out just in case he needs to change his serves in the later rounds or he wants to make things simple and get straight into backhand rallies.
Day 2 (Aug 9): Adapting to New changes and New faces
More 7-game thrillers staged in the mixed doubles competition on day 2. Two of the matches have revealed the weaknesses and strengths of the no.2 seed, Xu Xin / Sun Yingsha. Perhaps it has something to do with the adjustment of Xu Xin's mixed doubles partner (Liu Shiwen is recovering from an elbow injury) and the prolonged competition suspension due to the pandemic but Xu Xin / Sun Yingsha will have to up their game if they want to top the podium or get back into Olympic shape. Another mishandling of an awkward moment like the one in game 5 of the semifinals, when the umpire call out a fault service at 11-10, could cost them the champion.
Watch: Mixed Doubles QF: Xu Xin / Sun Yingsha 4-3 Xue Fei / Liu Weishan
Watch: Mixed Doubles SF: Xu Xin / Sun Yingsha 4-3 Lin Gaoyuan / Sun Mingyang
Men's singles competition move on to the preliminary stage. 2005-born Chen Yuanyu shows great potentials in the match despite having signs of inexperience after a medical timeout called by Liu Dingshuo after game 5. He may not possess the power the big guys have at this stage but his smart ball placement in his receives are impressive.
Watch: Men's Singles Prelims: Liu Dingshuo 4-2 Chen Yuanyu
The longest match of the meet is played in the preliminary round of the women's singles competition. It is an 1-hour chopper-vs-attacker match, which the expedite rule is applied. It is also a crucial match which decides the final few spots of the main draw. At the end, Wang Xiaotong, Chen Yi, Chen Ke and Yang Huijing make to the main draw.
Watch: Women's Singles Prelims: Wang Xiaotong 4-3 Yang Yiyun
Tidbits: Umpires are very strict with the serves at this meet. This leads to a frequent use of the hawk-eye technology, also known as TTR (Table Tennis Review), whenever athletes want to challenge the umpires' decision. Every time an athlete request for a TTR would break the rhythm of the match for a minute or so. It is also reported that 15 cameras are set up around the site to support this technology. Athletes will have to get used to the new changes brought by new technology.
Day 1 (Aug 8): Feeling Foreign First Day Back for CNT Competition
Actions in day 1 includes group stage of the singles events and the round of 16 of mixed doubles. Since the top favourites will start their singles competition in the main draw on 10 Aug, players competing in the group stage are mostly new faces from Team B of the national team. 15-year old provincial team member, Lin Shidong, has caught people's attention because he is the only local boy from Hainan. Although he placed third in the group and didn't make to the next stage in the end, he shows great potentials throughout the competition.
Watch: Men's Singles GS: Lin Shidong 3-2 Zeng Beixun
Lin Gaoyuan / Sun Mingyang playing a similar style to Japan's Jun Mizutani / Mima Ito are expected to challenge the top seeds in the later rounds. Yet, they almost bow out in the first playing against Liu Dingshuo / Qian Tianyi. Both sides start off slow in the first few games and are not crisps in their receives but the tension builds as the competition progress.
Watch: Mixed Doubles R16: Lin Gaoyuan / Sun Mingyang 4-3 Liu Dingshuo / Qian Tianyi
Tidbits: Handshakes are replaced by a tap on the racket to prevent COVID19 at the Mock Olympics. Well, the World Championships asked us to do so 10 years ago (just kidding).
You may find these interesting:
Overview & Schedule
Mixed Doubles Draws & Results
Men' Singles Draws & Results
Women's Singles Draws & Results
Women's Team Draws & Results
Men's Team Draws & Results
Simon Gauzy set the stage! Return Xu Xin's serve early off the bounce then fast flicks to his backhand then forehand to keep him off balance. During the rallies do the same thing hard to the backhand then go wide to the forehand. NO SLOW SPINNY BALLS. All power! This is not a critique of penhold. Wang Hao and Ma Lin at their peak would have destroyed Xu Chenhao. Let's see if XX rebounds the rest of the tournament.
ReplyDeleteYour great coverage is much appreciated! 🏓🔛🔥
ReplyDeleteQuestion? Where is Wang Liqin?
ReplyDeleteHe has no role in the organization?
Wang Liqin is the vice-president of CTTA and he also holds multiple government official roles focusing on sports development in Shanghai.
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