Group play was completed at the end of Day 2. The 3 top players Kong, Waldner and Samsonov were eliminated, although they all won their last matches. Waldner and Gerada put on a great exhibition, much to the crowd's delight. In the last 2 matches of the evening, Saive beat Schlager 2-0 to advance to the quarter-final round, and Ma beat Karlsson 2-0 to win the group.
Here are the match-ups for the quarter-final round:
Top half: Primorac vs Saive, Kim vs Karlsson.
Bottom half: Ma vs Persson, Chiang vs Wang.
So Ma will play the 3rd Swede in the tournament; he has already beat Waldner and Karlsson in group play. An all-China final is out of the question, but an all-Sweden final is still possible.
Samsonov predicts either Wang or Ma to win the title.
Samsonov and Waldner both said they they did not mind playing with the bigger ball, but the quality of the ball is not too good now, and that affects their performances. They said the ball is a little soft, and the quality is inconsistent. Sometimes it bounces high, and sometimes low, so it is hard for the player to control. So it appears that the equipment needs improvement. The new table, however, makes a positive impression. The support is now like a bridge arch, instead of the traditional 8 legs.
After a day of competition, the players have personally experienced the 40 mm ball. Here is what they said about the bigger ball.
Primorac was happy that he beat Kong, the world champion, so easily. He agreed that Kong was very tired and not in shape, and that Kong did not understand the big ball yet. He said that the increase in ball size does not affect him too much. Also, he has practiced with it quite a bit, so he feels more used to it. He said that after Kong has practiced with the big ball for a while, he will be in good shape.
Schlager said that he has practiced with the big ball for 5 days, and there are still problems during competition. He is not used to the change in the ball's elasticity, which depends more on the quality of the ball than the size. He still does not quite understand the various factors, such as ball speed, and therefore, in the game, he does not know whether to attack or defend. As far as his performance is concerned, he felt that whether he is used to the playing conditions or not is a big factor.
Kim said that penholders are affected quite a bit by the bigger ball. It is hard to attack with a lot of speed. He hit into the net quite a few times, and that's because the ball's spin and speed have changed. He agreed with Schlager that the quality of the ball has a big impact. He felt that after one gets used to the bigger ball, it will feel like before. It will not change the current TT scene.
Wang Liqin said that he feels awkward playing the big ball, and he could really feel the difference. Because the spin is less, he could not fully utilize his serve techniques, and his attack speed is also less. When he loops with 80% power, the ball, after landing on the table, does not have the forward speed that he expects, and that affects his attacks a lot. In rallies, he is used to playing a little behind the table, but now the shots from the opponents tend to bounce within the table, and he feels like he could not quite catch up.
Kong said that he does not have a good feel for the big ball, but it should help players who are strong in rallies.
Waldner said that he has not played with the big ball much, so it does not feel good. But all the players have equal chances.
Karlsson said the bigger ball will not affect the results of the competition.
Samsonov said that the bigger ball is the reason why he did not play well in this tournament. The ball floats and is hard to control. The speed and spin have changed, so attacking is different now. He needs to work with the big ball a lot more.
Ma: "The big ball presents opportunities to inverted penholders like myself, but the advantages are small. I still need to control the game. Against Waldner, I was vulnerable to his serves with the smaller ball. Now the spin and speed are less, and his serves are not as deadly. The players with the strong spirit and capability will still win in the big ball era".
On the first day I lost 0-2 to both Primorac and Chiang, That was not unexpected because I did not train after the Olympics. After I arrived in Yangzhou, I only practiced 3 times, for a total of less than 2 hours.
For me, the 38mm and the 40mm balls are completely different. I did not have any feeling when the big ball strikes my racket. Throughout the matches, I felt helpless. Whether on offense or defense, I could not find the right pace. The ball is too slow, so the attacks feel "off", and it is easy to hit into the net. So I was afraid to kill those balls that I normally would if I were playing the small ball. Defending is even harder; judging the spin and trajectory of the incoming ball is difficult. I have made two observations. You have to start your motion sooner; that means the point of contact is earlier. And you have to hit with more power, because the ball is softer. The shots I used to put away are now coming back.
Another reason why I did not play well is I have not changed the sponge. I use a soft blade and hard sponge now. Playing the big ball, I should use a hard blade and soft sponge. The Europeans are better off here, because they have always used softer sponges, so the big ball does not affect them as much.
I did not give myself any pressure in this tournament. I understand that it is normal to be not in shape after the Olympics, and I know that I was at a disadvantage right from the start. The purpose for me is not to win but observe how the other players adapt to the big ball. Ma and Wang have played well, so I hope they will win.