Kong and Liu
Kong and Liu, the golden pair, did not shine in this tournament. People naturally attribute that to the outside activities the pair had since the Olympics. But Yin said that the failure to adjust to the big ball is the main reason.
Yin said that in the big ball era, the table-tennis techniques are relatively simplified, and the importance of power is greater than before. The power-type players with great motion amplitudes (swings) are at a relative advantage. Kong and Liu are both highly skillful players, with smaller motion amplitudes. Kong's table-tennis sense is still based on the small ball, and he has not been able to take advantage of his speed advantage. He needs to quickly improve in three areas: awareness, motion, and equipment. Liu's situation is even more complex. Foreign players have found the way to beat Liu, so a "highly specialized" player like Liu has to work much harder now.
Looking forward to the Osaka Worlds, Yin still has a lot of confidence in his two favorite students. He said that the period after the Chinese New Year and the closed training in March will be very critical training periods for Liu and Kong. Whether the Chinese can regain the team title will depend a great deal on their performances. When asked whether the newer players could step into leadership roles, Yin said that the outstanding players Wang, Ma and Liu Guozheng are beneficiaries of the big ball. "These 3 are power-type players, with great motion swings. They did not have to change their style much to adjust to the new ball. Therefore they are playing better now".
Whether the younger players can step up is a question that everyone is concerned with. Yin said that it is still too early to tell. Wang's problem has been mental, and in this tournament, he shows increasing confidence. The coaching team is creating a training environment for Wang, with the goal of letting the very talented Wang achieve his long due success in Osaka.
Samsonov still is worrisome to the Chinese
Europeans are physically bigger than Asians, but Yin does not think that they have any advantage with the bigger ball. He said: "The power-type players having an advantage does not mean it is a contest of sheer power. The key is who can use power better. On this critical point, the Europeans still have to improve".
Yin speaks quite highly of Samsonov. "We did not expect him to adjust
to the big ball so quickly, and his game appears to be still rising", Yin
said. Also, Chiang , Kim and Primorac will be the main opponents for the
Chinese. When asked about Waldner, Yin said that he has not seen Waldner
play, but he has doubts about how well Waldner can do. Waldner is the skillful
type of player with smaller motions, so the aging star will be hard pressed
to do well now.
The Sydney double-gold winner said, "Because my strength is great speed and spin, the bigger ball has reduced my advantage. But no player can be confident to win now".
To combat this problem, Wang has increased physical training and hopes for a breakthrough in her power game. The 22-year-old player said that she is setting her sights on the Osaka Worlds, and her long-term goal is the next Olympics.
In the last Worlds, Wang won the team, singles and doubles gold medals.
She said that she feels confident about the team title in Osaka, but in
singles, she will face challenges from many players. "But I hope to reach
another peak", she said.
Wang, Ma and Liu Guozheng played well. Those 3 players have their own characteristics, compared to Liu and me. In ability we are all at about the same level. It's really too early for anyone to say that Liu and I are no good anymore. It takes different players different amounts of time to get used to the big ball. It will take half a year or so to find out the impact of the bigger ball on our games. For us, the important tournament is the Osaka Worlds.
Because I finished the tournament early, I went to Tokyo on January
14, to select some sponge from Butterfly who is developing equipment for
me. I spent three days at Butterfly, and did not do any sightseeing. I
worked with their specialists so that they can better understand what I
need from the sponge and the rubber. I flew back to Beijing on January
17, and I brought two different sponges with me so that I can determine
which one works best for me. I will be training in Beijing until January
23. I have not decided whether to go back to Harbin or stay in Beijing
for the Chinese New Year holidays. On February 3, I will play an international
challenge match against Holland's Keen.
Reporter: In the last 5 Grand Finals, you have won 5 titles. Do you think you are a great player now?
Wang: Results only indicate that I have the ability, but do not mean that I am a great player. I think I am a very good player. I lack major competition experience. Even though I have played in the Worlds and in the Olympics, my ability to adjust on the court is still lacking. I think I am a little short of being a great player.
R: In this tournament, you played the full 5 games in 5 of the 7 matches. You had to come back to win against Samsonov, Ma, Ma/Liu and Kim/Oh. Doesn't this mean that you have got rid of that doubt about your mental ability?
W: The Yokohama Grand Finals is the first major international tournament since the big ball was adopted 3 months ago. I treasured this opportunity a great deal. I am more mature, from a mental ability point of view. In the past, I played well when I was ahead, but when I ran into difficulties I could not adjust well. This time I came back in several singles matches. I did not relax at any time, and when I was behind, I never thought that I would lose the match, and I withstood the pressure. This was the first time Yan Sen and I played doubles with the big ball in an international tournament. We did not practice much before, and some of our techniques were not well-executed. Our positioning and coverage were a little rusty, and that made us fall behind. Later Yan and I were able to play to our normal levels, and we won. Maybe all those 3-2 victories were more valuable and meaningful than the 3-0's.
R: Some said the Olympics doubles gold medal had a great impact on you, and help you mature. What do you think?
W: Winning the gold medal means that I have crossed a threshold. My ability to play under pressure has increased, and I will have less mental baggage in the future. My overall strategy and tactics are not fully developed yet, because I have not won any of the 3 major singles titles. That will be my goal from now on.
R: When Ma Lin won the World Cup, some people said that the big ball favored penholders. Now you won this title. Is this a victory for the power players?
W: Regardless of the size of the ball, whoever understands its principles will be ahead. In the big ball era, those players who attack with their own power will adjust quicker. Players who in the past have used the opponents power more will take a longer time to adjust. Ma and I both can initiate attacks with our own power; this does not however mean the penholders or the power players will always win.
R: What techniques will you work on to improve?
W: Mainly on how to link the first-3-shots with continued looping/attacking, flipping inside the table, and returning serves short. If I can improve my flips, I will initiate attacks and force the opponents to play my game.
R: What are your hopes for the Osaka Worlds?
W: Of course I want to win the singles title. I will never give up that
goal.