The sound of the nine-fold drum shook the earth, and the long years seemed to revive on the branches. God sent Chang'e to sprinkle a petal, and the first person to arrive was the family of the secluded mountain village. Burn agarwood and worship again and again reverently to witness the face of this country, and feel the moisture of the rain and the emperor's grace. I sincerely wish that the spring on earth will last forever and enjoy the colors of this beautiful flower forever.
The Table Tennis World Cup, which will be grandly unveiled on April 15, 2024, will kick off in the beautiful city of Macau, China. The winner will receive up to 1,500 points in the world ranking and 3,000 points in Olympic medals. It is reported that the national table tennis team has confirmed that 12 top athletes, including Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin, Ma Long, Liang Jingkun, Lin Gaoyuan, Lin Shidong, Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng, Wang Yidi, Wang Manyu, Chen Xingtong and Kuo Man, will represent the Chinese team in the World Cup.
Among the contestants from the foreign association, the famous players in the men's field include Tomokazu Zhangmoto, Hayasuke Togami, Teiko Matsushima, Glasmenko, Hugo Calderano, Jang Yuzhen, Lim Jong-hoon, Lee Sang-so, Ahn Jae-hyun, Qiu Dang, Ocharov, Francesca, Pitchford, Lebrun Brothers, Felix, Moregaard, Lin Yunru, Gao Chengrui and others; Famous players in the women's field include Hina Hayata, Shin Yubin, Zheng Yijing, Diaz, Szokos, Mimato Ito, Miwa Zhangmoto, Zhu Qianxi, Miu Hirano, Mittram, Yuan Jianan, Tian Zhixi, Polkanova, Samara, Batra, Sliga Akula and others.
The World Cup is divided into two rounds based on the players' world rankings. The first round, the first stage of the competition, will divide all 16 groups into groups in a serpentine arrangement, ensuring that heroes from the same association will not meet in the same group. In each group, three players compete against each other, and the winner of the group will advance to the second round, the knockout stage.
According to the latest regulations, the knockout round adopts a best-of-7 format. In all open draws, the following order will be followed: the first player from Group 1 will appear in position 1, the winner of Group 2 will appear in position 16, the masters of Group 3 and Group 4 will compete in positions 8 and 9 respectively, and the winners of each group will be drawn from Group 5 to Group 16. In particular, there is no need to avoid players from the same association in the second round.
In addition, the ITTF has announced a striking new rule that will only allow each group stage to be played in four games. This abrupt change in the rules of the game not only broke the traditional best-of-five or best-of-seven format, but also created a new puzzle concept - the result of the match could be a 4-0 victory, a narrow 3-1 victory, or even a 2-2 draw. And if in this kind of 2-2 life and death situation, how to decide the winner or loser? Yes, of course.
In fact, whether this new rule is fair and impartial, and whether it can achieve the pre-set effect, remains to be met with positive feedback from the market and the audience. Only after the actual practice of the arena can we truly confirm whether this rule change can increase the attractiveness of the game and whether it can be recognized by the table tennis community and even the audience.
For Chinese women's table tennis, these new rules of competition can be said to have brought both challenges and opportunities. Although it is well known that Chinese women's table tennis has always been the leader in the global table tennis field, in recent years, they have also had to face the competitive pressure brought about by the rising rise of new rivals such as Japanese women's table tennis. These opponents, with their swift attacking skills and fluctuating form, have caused a certain amount of distress to our players.
However, the new rules also provide a rare opportunity for Chinese women's table tennis. In a format where we have to compete for the best in each game, we have more room to show our skill level and game experience, and at the same time, we can reduce the probability of the opponent's upset risk. This means that all members of the Chinese women's table tennis team can devote more energy and strength to the details of each break, and better cope with the rapid attacks and state changes of the players. Even though the new rules may pose a challenge to Chinese women's table tennis players, it is also a window of opportunity to showcase their strength and respond to change. I am convinced that under the new rules of the game, the Chinese women's table tennis is still the same.
With strong strength and rich experience, we will be able to continue to maintain our leading position in the world and bravely meet greater competitive challenges.