He actually played very well against SYQ and was like getting everything back. Now not sure if SYQ just could not be bothered and was just saving himself for All England..
I think Momota was playing well. His movement and shot quality was good. Same story against Nishimoto especially end of G2 and G3. But today was disaster.
honestly, I'm getting tired of that shocked, clueless look on Momota's face whenever he fails to defend a smash or pushes one long off the backline or the sidelines (unforced).
I can't help but think it's fitness issue. Why else would he not play attacking shots? After all, he's 28 now. He's also not played consecutively in a tournament like this for some time since he had 4 first round losses in previous tournaments. Anyway, there's a recent court side view match of Momota against Chen Long in 2019 uploaded. Check out the first 3 points of this third set. People tend to forget, but Momota used to have great smash.
Yeah and what were these poor poor lifts? Nan i'm convinced now. The beating he took by Heo Kwang Hee still haunts him. LSF was smart enough to use two awesome smash from the start. Momota was already defeated at that time and started the passive clear drop game. LSF is way too excellent for that. Also Momota has got to stop with the backcourt forehand dropshots who everyone can just wait for him at the net. He used to do the neutralising shots. Anyway. I got hopeful again but well.
Maybe he’ll do better in AE, i mean if he can get pass kunlavut, he probably has SYQ again, chances aren’t horrible
Momota needs to up his pace and stop playing so chill. Momota is a very fast player when he wants to and has the best shot control to follow it up with. Of course he should not rely on beating his opponents with power smashes. Yet he should keep smashing for the sake of his controlling game. Playing control does not mean clearing high up until opponent smashes shuttle into your court. Keep moving opponent with a high pace (LI SHIFENG SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FOLLOW YOUR PACE MOMOTA) and use your perfect wrist control to beat everyone.
He didn't but he played quite well. Both games were very close and momota played very aggressively. Sent from my NE2211 using Tapatalk
At least he actually had a proper try this time around; the previous year since his back injury against Nishimoto he’s gone face down and without spirit in his games. Here, he’s fist pumping himself forward, PJB is also on the coach’s corner actually paying attention to his game. If Momota had better control of the clears in Game 1 (think he made 4 or 5 long clears), it should have been won, albeit still tightly contested.
Oh I understand G1. It was nice and I started to look up to a nice match. But my god G2 was a disaster. He was supposed to have more control on the lift but it was still not good. And I think Kun came with a clear message at the very start - He rained down 3-4 mega powerful smashes and Momota was done for. He crawl up into his passive game and unable to lift properly and unable to attack. There were so many opportunities for him to at least play a downward shot but he doesn't
Unless momota gets his 2019 form back, beating kunlavut was always a huge ask, but at least from the first game, there were some fight unlike last week against LSF.
Im surprised he’s not in the swiss open, with the absence of so many top players, good opportunity to build his confidence and maybe even win the title.
