I think the main question isn't really his stamina but whether he can keep pace with Ginting, it's the explosive power that goes first
Imagine if we see Chen Long against Kevin Cordon for the gold medal... 10 years after the World Championship first round. Then Kevin Cordon wins to keep 100% win rate against Chen Long! What a moment in history that would be
Answering for myself here. I for sure do not think form is a matter of luck but careful and strategic preparation. I believe that form can even be targeted to peak at certain event and a lot of preparation goes into it not only by the player but by everybody surrounding the player. I do agree that nervousness can affect the overall way you move and so on. But we have seen an on form Momota extremely nervous before, we have seen an on form Momota confident and we have seen an off form Momota doing his best to play a good game. None of it looked like how he was this Olympics. The reason is because this time he was off form and nervous at the same time.
HBJ is receiving and serving with a strange position. Like Gill and Morten have mentioned on service it's like she's doing a backhand serve but then goes to forehand. On the receive her racquet isn't up either, it's unconventional - in both cases her wrist is flexed.
Or more likely, if Kevin loses to VA and CL loses to Ginting. CL vs Kevin for the bronze medal, literally a decade old revenge match in the works. I'm excited for that one
I feel like CYF took the early part of that 2nd set to casually. By the time CYF was behind, she started to smash. But her smashes were going out or into the net. I guess we will see what happens in the 3rd set. But that casualness with how CYF started that 2nd set may come back to bite her.
Wow... surprised there’s no team instructions here for HBJ to lose tamely. I gained some respect for the chinese team since LYB’s era.
That's just nonsense. First of all, at the Sudirman Cup Momota won the first game against Shi Yuqi. He then ran out of steam, having had 8 hours less rest from the previous day than his opponent and a QF game on Friday, where SYQ could rest. If you want a convincing performance against Momota, the only real heavy defeat he's gotten post comeback was the WTF loss to SYQ in straight, very clear games back in 2018. But there was no "team and country on his back". Other than that defeat to SYQ, he's performed examplary for his country. His record is something like 17-1, including helping Japan as a 19 year old to their first ever Thomas Cup in 2014 and beating CTC, NKL, VA, and CL in the Thomas Cup campaign 2018. You've come up with a nice narrative there, unfortunately it has nothing to do with reality.
Fair play to CHN today. I expected them to play all out in first game and then whoever win the first would give up the second. But they are actually fighting although a serious CYF is just too good
Zhang Jun was in the national team in 2000, winning XD gold in Syndey. He might be aware of that WS incident and can understand how players feel in such situation. Hence he now let the players' performance decide the outcome.
Well, that your narrative is nonsense is pretty conclusive, given how KM performed well time and time again for his country. And insinuating that he contracted Covid because he wasn't careful enough (probably had the accident and the eye surgery too, because he "didn't take the necessary precautions" or "sacrificed enough.") is, quite frankly, brazen to the max. But suit yourself, lots of people like this yellow press stuff.
Good to see CYF win it. I think she is the better player. She kind of took it casually though in the 1st and 2nd set. But at least she won in the end. I kind of feel back for HBJ though. I think HBJ played her guts out. Overall, a good tournament for HBJ.