"There's still a lot that I need to improve" - kevin after the match Hopefully liu/zhang can win the all england after that stellar performance against the minions, go zhang nan
I think it is fine that they lost so they would try harder to improve. And it is good that both were saying that they still need to improve and both are not playing well rather than blaming other factor. The biggest non-technical factor is due to them being expected to win and Zhang Nan/Liu Cheng have no pressure as they are not expected to do well. So their opponent is playing more freely
Yeah, honestly minions were kind of performing below their usual standard. Maybe because it was their first match after their last tournament together. Worrying to see Marcus was not able to up his game and quite vulnerable when targeted even when they were trailing in G3 his body language was clearly not as stubborn as usual. ZN was just too good with his superb counterattack almost always succeeded to exploit Marcus at the back not allowing Kevin to do much. No idea why Marcus keep attacking ZN when obviously it was supposed to be the worst idea ever lol I hope to see both pairs playing in their best form next time. And I still don't get the red card Marcus received at the beginning of G2 though.. I thought Marcus was fast enough to get ready on the court?
I actually think Kevin played pretty well. He intercepted and defended well, varied his overhead shots (reverse slice, steep smashes, flat smashes). His overhead shots were of course limited in power (due to his height) but I thought he did well to vary his shots enough for his shots not to be easily read and countered. In contrast, Gideon was one dimensional in his attack, mainly delivering straight and pretty flat smashes from the back of the court. The very few times he used drop shots, they were pretty effective but he lacked the power or angle in his smashes to finish off short lifts. The Chinese had a clear game plan to take advantage of it i.e lifting his smashes cross court that were too high for Sukamuljo to intercept and forced Gideon to move laterally, where his next smash would be a lot flatter which gave opportunities for counterattack through either blocks or drives It is increasingly clear that Gideon is being less and less effective from the back of the court, not allowing Sukamuljo to utilise his interception skills. In the past (2016-early 2018), Gideon was faster both in racket skills and movement and was more threatening in the rear court. The pair is being forced to defend more due to their opponents having a clearer idea of how to counterattack and Gideon’s decline. At the risk of being flamed, I honestly cannot say I have an optimistic outlook for the pair. Gideon would have to improve a lot from his present form, and he is not getting any younger at 27 while being recently married so his priorities may be adjusted. For all his skills, Sukamuljo cannot carry the pair to greater heights himself.
I also think kevin played pretty well, especially in the first and second game. I don't know the statistics, but I'm sure he got more winners at the front court compared to zhang nan. i don't know what happen in third game though, suddenly making too many mistakes. I have to agree on gideon's part, his attack were so one dimensional, people already complaining about this since last year and it still hasn't change. worrying.
Funny how Kevin gets an excuse for slower smashes because of his height and Gideon doesn't they're both very short... I just watched the match for enjoyment, but to me it seemed like Kevin was making a lot of errors especially in G3. Overall they weren't able to finish off points as easily as they're used to, and lacked patience in their attack...and ZN had absolutely insane defense, especially when attacked to the body. That paired with one of Lius better matches was enough, if barely - both of the first 2 games could've gone either way.
I honestly dont expect much from Minions going forward. Its not even an upset, like i said all the champions league match have upset this week so this is nothing. Very tight match. Its quite pressurising to keep winning as WR1 while your body isnt up to it anymore. I think in future, they will be more like a pair that won a title and lost in R1. Well as long as they dont lose in a Final, wouldnt matter. They already lead 3 years in title standings. Let other takeover, can still remain in top 8. Let see how they perform in Malaysia and SG. Where they actually have free points. Still think they will the end the year as WR1 as they already won 2 titles and get a free SUdirmanCup points. I actually kinda not want them to be WR1 heading into OlympicYear. The worst thing is Li/Liu also lost, that will just make them longer number 1. After winning so many titles, is unbelievable someone like Kevin truly said that there is still a lot to improve.
I can't see minions losing R1, seriously, in normal circumstances. This time, the draw was too tough for both pairs. It's like having two of the best pairs in the world facing each other in R1, seriously? Very, very disappointed with the draw. If it weren't Liu/Zhang yesterday, I am pretty sure minions would have made it through. I don't see any problem with minions losing to Liu/Zhang, both pairs have been equally good, all depends on the circumstances and the players condition to be honest. This time it was minions being not so lucky. Zhang Nan was enjoying this match, but I didn't see Kevin enjoying this game as much as he usually would. His expression was stern, maybe he was a bit nervous. I am happy with Kevin regardless, he played really well considering, scored many points from the front with amazing interceptions and also from the back, just losing his touch a bit in G3 while Zhang Nan was sharp all the time. They made sure all the shuttles being out of Kevin's reach. Marcus under performing also made the difference in the final game. Over the last year, the gap between Kevin and Marcus is getting more and more obvious especially in the slower condition. Lately Kevin had to do double duty (both front and back) in order for them to score when Marcus struggled. It had worked wonder so far, but yesterday it didn't. Marcus should be more alert, it won't be good if he struggled too often as he would be targeted most of the time. And that delay red card, was Marcus really delaying the game? I thought he was on the court just behind Kevin.
Very very tough match for LiuZhang awaiting today. I wouldnt be surprised to see Kevin or Gideon in the coaching box the next 2 days if FajarRian or AhsanHendra advance further. Just my feel. They still can help.
Liu/Zhang had better win their way through after defeating minions. I don't think either of minions would sit in with the coach though. Kevin is more a quick thinker on the spot rather than an observer type. Honestly, I am still shocked by the fact that minions lost in R1... Just watched the replay again and just noticed that LC actually got more service faults than Marcus lol.
No surprises here, just some feelings of upset. Even the best fall sometimes. But they will be back with a vengeance Sent from my JSN-L22 using Tapatalk
A little disappointed but no biggie... As for this year, I prefer them to win titles that they havent achieved yet like WC for instance. In his post-match interview, Marcus told that the hat trick goal was not the only one he can be blamed for. He somehow felt the burden but he seriously thought that their defeat got something to do with the lack of preparation for this tournament. Marcus also criticised bad umpiring decisions as he felt that he was entering the court at the same time as opponent.
I'm really confused with the umpire decision for the red card. The umpire was the one stalling the game. She faulted him when Marcus was already on the court for a few seconds. Shouldn't at least she give a yellow card first? She didn't give any warning or anything. That red card was rather unjust, in my opinion.
Yeah no worry guys. KevinGideon is a finished products and i dont think that is bad if you hear something is a finished product, its just a way higher finished products than others, getting 8&9 titles consecutively for 2 years is very important, certainly its almost impossible to do that again this year. We have to also accept it that they are humans and under the circumstances(umpires, physicals and such), they tried their best also dont think Kevin cares if LiuZhang lose their match today, it would be funny if they get the last laugh if it happens that Fajri or Daddies that win the title. I actually think GohTan can win the title.
Minions are not yet a finished product, there are still so many things they need to improve. I am all for Liu/Zhang winning this title by the way.
But in terms of titles, they won almost everything simply its hard to improve on. It will be something, they have a few left SingaporeOpen, KoreaOpen and WC right? Even LD not able to win IO though. As for LiuZhang, there is more to regret if they dont end up winning the title. Winning like that and end up lost is very difficult feeling. Hope all the best to them.
Why would you not want to be the #1 seed, it's literally the best position to start a tournament...and yeah it's an upset, a big one at that. Liu has steadily declined over 2018, and they hadn't shown anything worthwhile as a pair, that the minions lost to a pair outside the Top10 is definitely an upset. That Kevin says there's still room to improve shows the true mentality of a champion - wanting to improve, every day. He didn't get to be as good as he is by accepting the status quo and being satisfied with his performance - he is driven to improve. There's always something to improve upon in your game, and that's the only way to keep evolving and stay an elite player. If you stop trying to improve, you'll decline. Look at any player with sustained success - they all evolved, adapted to changes in the game and their body, and improved on their weaker areas. Both LD and LCW, for example, continually evolved as players (at least until 2014 for LD and 2016 for LCW).
Of course he's blaming the umpire. You could tell he got pretty tilted after his 2nd service fault....its endlessly amusing to me how someone who should have benefited significantly from this rule can still get faulted so much but it really seems to have given many service judges a much needed backbone...
Zhang nan basically anticipated a lot of Kevin's shots and net rushes. In that kind of match-up, the minions should just stand their ground and play patient. They still have a chance of beating many of the top players imo
