Injustice (and idiocy) of Game 3 10-10 aside, let's look at the match proper. Before the match began, I felt that Odo is the favourite to win this match, and probably top the group. After watching the full match, I now feel that Akae actually already has all the necessary individual ingredients to consistently, and possibly comfortably, win against Odo. What Akae is lacking, is the recipe to put them all together, when to use what, for how long, and by how much. Which Odo is better at now, being the much more experienced player to win crucial points, and matches. Game 3 is obviously the decider, a game with all its ups and downs, which could just as easily turn in favour of Akae. With a well-timed intervention from the bench-coach. -- 7-4 to 7-6. Actually the non-TO call is the right decision. Such situations (1pt away from catching up) usually favours the leading player more, without the use of a TO. -- 8-6 to 8-7. However, given that this is the 2nd occurrence of such a situation, a TO call is a better way to go. This is largely to break the psychological momentum, the extra motivational desire of the opponent to not allow the chance to equalise to slip away again. It is also about now that Akae is showing signs of her mind going blank, like her brain is running out of fuel. Energy consumption for such intensive brain processes is higher than is often talked about. A TO would help with some energy recovery, and some reorganisation of tactics. -- 10-9, a crucial game point. Given the way 9-9 is won (via an Odo miss), you cannot rely on a good level player like Odo to gift away the point again this easily. However, you cannot be thinking about trying to attack the point like it's 0-0 either, the stakes involved simply messes with your psychological state, decision making and shot selection, and technical execution. This is what Akae did, and frankly, is quite easily read and defended/countered by a good level (and similar level) opponent like Odo. One possible suitable method here, is to focus on the placements, wide or middle, with a bit of timing variations, to make sure Odo never gets to return from a comfortable position. Verbal cues: "placements, make sure her position is never stable". However, even before Game 3 started, the manner which Game 1 and 2 progressed is already more of an advantage for Odo than Akae. Odo won G1 eventually, despite having a huge lead closed down. She avoided winning her game by a large margin. Akae won G2 comfortably, by a large margin. Winning games by a large margin has a marked psychological effect, for it gives the player an unconscious impression that things are going to be easy, putting the player less prepared for any difficulties to come. This is largely an unconscious effect, you wouldn't even realise it's going on. But it does happen so, so often. This isn't the first time it has happened to Akae either, it has happened so many times to her. As recently as her only loss in the recent 2024年度デンソー 前期日本卓球リーグ静岡大会 tournament. 2-3, winning her two games by a large margin, severely under-performing in the 3 other games.
19:48 Game 3, 10-10. This point demonstrates what is the stupidest, most nonsensical thing about the rules (or its application) of the sport. Apparently, you can move the table during the point. Well of course you shouldn't. By every common sense available to the human population anytime anywhere, you should not be allowed to move the table during the point. After all, moving the table is no different from moving the goalposts. But the fact that such moving-the-table instances are never penalised, is an implicit message, and approval to the players that you need not take extra attention to not move the table. Whenever the table moves, two things can happen. 1) The table shakes, at the instant the ball lands on the table, affecting its bounce and trajectory of the ball. 2) The table moves. Where the ball ought to be missing the table, the ball now lands on the table's new moved position. That's moving the goalposts. (There's a third scenario about how the crashing momentum gives the player an extra attacking advantage, this is on the same level of technical advantage as resting the free arm on the table surface for extra support.) The second scenario is what happened here at this point, Game 3 10-10, as can be seen via frame-by-frame replays. -- The table moved, by about 1cm in the direction of Akae. -- Odo's ball landed on the white line, at about 1cm from the edge of the table's moved position. Which means, if the table hadn't moved, the ball would have missed. Odo is not at fault here. The blame lies entirely on the umpires, referees, and frankly the URC (Umpires and Referees Committee) and ITTF themselves. Wait till you actually hear of the excuses they give for their inaction. -- Point ends: "The point is already won, player wouldn't have returned it anyway". -- Rally continues: "The player is not affected by the table moving, so no need to take action". True stories. And I'm not talking about amateur umpires here.
大藤選手止める、責めるの強弱がとても上手ですね〜😊憧れます😂
この2人が同組なのがもったいないな。2人とも世界で戦ってほしい！
この二人にはもっと世界大会に出てほしい。美和張本に負けないくらいの可能性を感じる。
大藤にはなぜかスンインシャを感じる
Injustice (and idiocy) of Game 3 10-10 aside, let's look at the match proper.
Before the match began, I felt that Odo is the favourite to win this match, and probably top the group.
After watching the full match, I now feel that Akae actually already has all the necessary individual ingredients to consistently, and possibly comfortably, win against Odo.
What Akae is lacking, is the recipe to put them all together, when to use what, for how long, and by how much.
Which Odo is better at now, being the much more experienced player to win crucial points, and matches.
Game 3 is obviously the decider, a game with all its ups and downs, which could just as easily turn in favour of Akae.
With a well-timed intervention from the bench-coach.
-- 7-4 to 7-6. Actually the non-TO call is the right decision. Such situations (1pt away from catching up) usually favours the leading player more, without the use of a TO.
-- 8-6 to 8-7. However, given that this is the 2nd occurrence of such a situation, a TO call is a better way to go. This is largely to break the psychological momentum, the extra motivational desire of the opponent to not allow the chance to equalise to slip away again.
It is also about now that Akae is showing signs of her mind going blank, like her brain is running out of fuel. Energy consumption for such intensive brain processes is higher than is often talked about. A TO would help with some energy recovery, and some reorganisation of tactics.
-- 10-9, a crucial game point. Given the way 9-9 is won (via an Odo miss), you cannot rely on a good level player like Odo to gift away the point again this easily.
However, you cannot be thinking about trying to attack the point like it's 0-0 either, the stakes involved simply messes with your psychological state, decision making and shot selection, and technical execution.
This is what Akae did, and frankly, is quite easily read and defended/countered by a good level (and similar level) opponent like Odo.
One possible suitable method here, is to focus on the placements, wide or middle, with a bit of timing variations, to make sure Odo never gets to return from a comfortable position.
Verbal cues: "placements, make sure her position is never stable".
However, even before Game 3 started, the manner which Game 1 and 2 progressed is already more of an advantage for Odo than Akae.
Odo won G1 eventually, despite having a huge lead closed down. She avoided winning her game by a large margin.
Akae won G2 comfortably, by a large margin.
Winning games by a large margin has a marked psychological effect, for it gives the player an unconscious impression that things are going to be easy, putting the player less prepared for any difficulties to come. This is largely an unconscious effect, you wouldn't even realise it's going on. But it does happen so, so often.
This isn't the first time it has happened to Akae either, it has happened so many times to her. As recently as her only loss in the recent 2024年度デンソー 前期日本卓球リーグ静岡大会 tournament. 2-3, winning her two games by a large margin, severely under-performing in the 3 other games.
赤江夏星選手、ＡかCグループなら1位通過できたかも⁈と思わせる奮闘でした。
Here for Akae
赤江選手が中学生の時から、大ファンでチャレンジ準優勝した時から応援しているが負けて残念だな。全日本では結果を残したが、この前のフィーダも今一の成績だった。
昔に比べて小さく纏りすぎ、実業団では通じるかも知れないが世界では通じない。
大藤との対戦見ても点差以上に実力差を感じる、もっとフォア攻撃主体に組み立てバックは繋ぎだけでいいじゃないかな。立派な体格もあるしブンブン丸で今はミスを恐れる必要は無い、負けても次に繋がればいいと思う。
チ－ムに早田選手もいるじゃん、彼女の戦い方を参考にしたらいいよ。
19:48
Game 3, 10-10.
This point demonstrates what is the stupidest, most nonsensical thing about the rules (or its application) of the sport.
Apparently, you can move the table during the point.
Well of course you shouldn't. By every common sense available to the human population anytime anywhere, you should not be allowed to move the table during the point.
After all, moving the table is no different from moving the goalposts.
But the fact that such moving-the-table instances are never penalised, is an implicit message, and approval to the players that you need not take extra attention to not move the table.
Whenever the table moves, two things can happen.
1) The table shakes, at the instant the ball lands on the table, affecting its bounce and trajectory of the ball.
2) The table moves. Where the ball ought to be missing the table, the ball now lands on the table's new moved position. That's moving the goalposts.
(There's a third scenario about how the crashing momentum gives the player an extra attacking advantage, this is on the same level of technical advantage as resting the free arm on the table surface for extra support.)
The second scenario is what happened here at this point, Game 3 10-10, as can be seen via frame-by-frame replays.
-- The table moved, by about 1cm in the direction of Akae.
-- Odo's ball landed on the white line, at about 1cm from the edge of the table's moved position.
Which means, if the table hadn't moved, the ball would have missed.
Odo is not at fault here.
The blame lies entirely on the umpires, referees, and frankly the URC (Umpires and Referees Committee) and ITTF themselves.
Wait till you actually hear of the excuses they give for their inaction.
-- Point ends: "The point is already won, player wouldn't have returned it anyway".
-- Rally continues: "The player is not affected by the table moving, so no need to take action".
True stories. And I'm not talking about amateur umpires here.