HanZhou, HeTan and LYD/KGJ... I think only these 3 pairs who will will be properly challenging minions for next year. Some other 3 pairs to consider: KamSon, BoMo and FajRi.
If they beat HeTan 2/3 more times and make H2H becomes 6-1 especially in Final, i think HeTan will be broken like LiLiu and might be separated too. But wont worry too much other pairs can beat HanZhou and HeTan. Li/Liu knows everytime they beat me, they will be champion. Same as He/Tan.
You forget Zhang Nan. I can only hope his partner next year would be up to it. But honestly it has been almost 2 years since minions first breakthrough, every other pairs should have gotten used to minions playing style and learned about it. It is about time that they will be challenged by any pair at all especially if the opponents can employ the right strategy. Not to mention they had been playing all year long, getting into finals more means they played more matches than others. I am also worried about Marcus' form as we could see he hasn't been doing well lately and how he could easily be exposed by the opponents. His doesn't smash as strong and doesn't react as quickly as he used to. When will we ever see minions in their best form again, I wonder. If Kevin was good, Marcus not doing well and vice versa. But then again, that's how they win their matches. That's what they are good at doing I suppose, they survive tough matches against any pairs. That's how they stay at the top. After HK Open they will only play in World Tour Finals I presume before end of the year?
Yes, they will only play in WTF. I think there are more pairs already know about minions' play style. Susi Susanti has mentioned this and tell minions to fix their weakness. It looks like minions' suck period comes at right timing (or wrong timing as they lost in WC). Many seeded MD pairs lost in early round lately. At this point, it is not about technical and skill, it is about who is more consistent and who can fix their weakness. Minions tend to fix their weakness faster than the other pairs. They can get out of their suck period in a short time, unlike every other MD pairs. They become world number one because of their consistency and mental fortitude, not their superb technical and skill. After all, Kevin did say that the top 20 MD pairs are equal.
I believe that fat pro athlete is still way better than Marvin Seidel, the 30 minutes match specialist . Well most of German shuttlers are 30 minutes match specialists. And Im being polite by using the phrase "Most of"
Do you have a point or are you just salty I pointed out an uncomfortable fact...? I don't believe we were talking about German players at all. Btw, Seidel has a higher XD ranking than KGJ ever got, so your derisive comment is hilarious, especially since KGJ is a bit of a 15-minute specialist himself. Remember him and KSR playing lights out one game, then completely imploding....? I like the guy, and I think he's very talented. It's just that his athletic level is not really pro-worthy and holds him back a lot.
I stated my point very clear. Let me repeat, MFG/KGJ are still way better than Marvin Seidel and those others 30 minutes match specialists from Germany. The main subject is about MFG/KGJ, not any player from Germany. I picked Marvin Seidel simply because he is currently the best doubles player that Germany have. I believe you are the one that being salty because I pointed out embarrassing fact about German players, go ahead check out their previous matches. There you are again bringing up ranking and points haha Those 30 minutes match specialists allowed to gather as much points as possible from international challenge tournaments in "other region", that's their rights!. But,, Have Marvin Seidel or those other 30 min match specialists won any major title tho?
Not really a question, right? Only one of them has major titles of course he got carried a bit by one of the all-time greats, but even then he had to do at least something just like MGF now, not a special player on his own, but just the right fit with an outstandingly talented player whom he enables. That's not an easy thing to do either, or ZN would be winning titles rn.
What a masterclass that was against kamura/sonoda in the final. I thought they gonna be tired after playing rubber games since r2 yet they put up a performance like that in the final. they've improved so much tactically.
Congratulations once again to minions for their 9th title of the year. 8th World's Tour titles. Remarkable achievements by them especially after their so-called disastrous performances in World Championship, Thomas Cup and Asian Games. This tournament could be one of the toughest considering the opponents and long matches they had to play up to the Final. Surviving their matches against solid defense opponents in slower playing conditions day after day and pulled off one of their best performances this year after AE in the final against Kamura/Sonoda was simply amazing. It was really hard to tell that they were playing with slow shuttles. Though in their match against KGJ/LYD, I honestly think that they would have had an easier G3 if it wasn't for the Umpire to tell them not doing clears all the time at the end of G2. It was not their fault that the (heavier and not in best shape) opponents not (willing to) putting efforts in their smashes, was it? But good to see that they know how to be patient when necessary and employ the right tactics against different opponents. Edit : Whoops got the titles number wrong. Corrected 8th to 9th titles, 7th to 8th world tour's.
I remember back then they're called one dimensional pair, it's amazing how they improved so much tactically.
