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The source of this article comes from authoritative reports: [Guangming.com, China Youth Network, Jiupai News], etc. (The detailed source is attached at the end of the article). In order to improve the readability of the article, the details may be polished. Please read them rationally for reference only!

Text|Starlight Intelligence Station

Editor|Starlight Intelligence Station

Foreword

In international table tennis events, upset and counterattack have always been the most touching scenes.

The first round of the men's singles in the WTT Macau Championship match staged a famous "dark horse counterattack".

Xue Fei, a Chinese substitute who ranked only 45th in the world, defeated Zhang Benzhihe with a clean and neat sweep attitude.

What is even more eye-catching is that with the elimination of Kazumoto Tomokazu, all four male singles players in the Japanese team participated in the competition were stopped in the first round. It set a rare record for "annihilation" in Japanese men's singles since the founding of the WTT Macau Championship.

And the words of the off-field coach not only became the turning point of the game, but also did not leave Zhang Ben a trace of decency.

Zhang Benzhihe State Roller Coaster

When mentioning Zhang Benzhihe, both Chinese fans and international table tennis observers, will define him as one of the most threatening opponents of the Chinese table tennis team in recent years.

As a "card character" in the Japanese men's singles, he has long gained a foothold in the world table tennis world with his extremely impactful playing style, and has even put the main players of the national table tennis team in a hard battle many times.

At the Yokohama Championship not long ago, he was in a hot state, defeating Chinese players Xiang Peng and Wang Chuqin one after another.

You should know that at that time, Wang Chuqin had just won the men's singles championship in the World Table Tennis Championships and had maintained a record of unbeaten for three months, but was reversed by Zhang Benzhihe in the final, which made the latter very popular for a while.

After the game, many netizens sighed in the WTT official social media comment section: "Zhang Ben's technology has become more and more comprehensive in the past two years, and the stability has also increased. The main players of the national table tennis team really have to be careful."

The following Swedish Grand Slam, fans even began to predict that he would once again win the championship.

After all, he has defeated the main Chinese player many times before, and the title of "Japanese Table Tennis No. 1" has long been firmly held.

However, competitive sports have never had a "ever-winning general".

In the 1/8 final of the Swedish Grand Slam, Jang Benjiu encountered South Korean player Ahn Jae-hyun.

The two sides fought for five games, and in the end he lost 2-3 and stopped in the round of 16.

This "rollercoaster showdown" made many people realize that Kazumoto's state seemed to begin to fluctuate.

But most people still believe that he is only temporarily adjusting, and the Macau Championship will be the stage for him to regain confidence.

No one could have expected that the Macau arena would eventually become his "Waterloo".

What is more dramatic is that it was not the main player of the national table tennis team who eliminated him, but a "substitute".

Two "sweeps" to prove strength

If Zhang Benzhihe's defeat was a "upset", then Xue Fei, who defeated him, can be regarded as the most dazzling existence in this "unpopularity".

You must know that Xue Fei's career was not dazzling before, and his world rankings have been hovering in the middle and lower reaches for a long time. Before the game, almost no one is optimistic that he can win this "focus battle".

But fans who are familiar with him know that this is not the first time he has "created trouble" to Zhang Benzhihe.

As early as a few months ago, Xue Fei eliminated Zhang Benzhihe in the first round and gave him the "One Round Tour".

After 4 games in that men's singles game, Xue Fei performed perfectly, and won the game 3-1 very beautifully, successfully advancing to the top 16.

This is also his best result in the Grand Slam competition so far.

Perhaps it was that victory that allowed Xue Fei to accumulate confidence in confronting Zhang Benzhihe.

Xue Fei did not waste any chance when he was qualified as a substitute.

Relying on stable performance and precise tactics, he once again played the role of a "dark horse" and not only cleared his name, but also became a highlight of the Chinese table tennis team's event.

In the game, he suppressed Zhang Benzhihe throughout the game, with tight defense and accurate counterattacks, and no chance to "turn the table".

This victory was not only the best result Xue Fei achieved in the Grand Slam in his career, but also allowed him to completely get rid of the label of "substitute".

Xue Fei proved with his strength that the national table tennis team's "bench" hides countless strong people who can compete with top players.

However, although Xue Fei finally won, the score was in a stalemate at that time, and both sides had certain psychological fluctuations, and each called for a timeout.

The coach exposes the "tactical illusion" in one sentence

You should know that Zhang Benzhihe is in full shape this year, reaching the men's singles final five times and winning three championships. She also defeated Wang Chuqin in the Yokohama Championship before.

Faced with such a strong enemy, Xue Fei was not at all nervous.

In the game progress, the timeout in the second game became the turning point in the entire showdown.

The battle situation between the two sides was in a stalemate. In order to help Xue Fei stabilize the rhythm and find a breakthrough, Chinese off-court coach Liu Heng said clearly to Xue Fei:

"He (Zhang Benzhihe) can kill you without a ball, he has no moves, he just makes a fool of himself, he can do something, he can do something, he can do something!"

After this sentence was transmitted to the outside world through the stadium, it instantly sparked heated discussion.

People who are familiar with Zhang Benzhihe know that his playing style is known for its "fast speed and many changes".

In the past, with this characteristic, he often disrupted his opponent's rhythm.

But under Xue Fei's tight defense, his "change" lost its former power, and he tried to change lines and calculate the landing point frequently.

on the contrary, it seems messy and completely criticized by Coach Liu Heng.

A netizen commented on social media: "The coach's words are too direct, which means exposing Zhang Ben Tomokaro's tactical loopholes in public, leaving no 'decent' at all."

Some people also believe that this sentence reflects the professionalism of the national table tennis coaching team: "Being able to accurately judge the opponent's status in the competition and give the players the most effective guidance is the key to the dominance of the national table tennis team."

In addition, more fans also believe that this sentence not only conveys strong confidence, but also demonstrates the precise analysis and strong confidence of the Chinese table tennis team for their opponents.

With Zhang Ben Tomokazu's sad departure, the ending of all four men's singles players in the Japanese team was settled.

This result is not only a "Waterloo" for the Japanese men's singles in the Macau Championship, but also nakedly exposes the fatal shortcomings of the Japanese table tennis team in the men's singles event - excessive reliance on core players, and the reserve force is difficult to support the overall competitiveness.

Looking back on international competitions in recent years, the Japanese men's singles score is almost completely "bound" to Tomokazu Kazuma.

When he is in good shape, the team can compete for medals.

Once he encounters a decline in his condition, other players will find it difficult to "take up" and eventually they can only fall into the embarrassing situation of "one round of games".

This men's singles match in the WTT Macau Championship has long surpassed the meaning of "one game".

Xue Fei's "dark horse counterattack" broke the inherent perception of "ranking determines victory or defeat".

The "collective round tour" of Japanese men's singles exposed the shortcomings of their insufficient talent reserves.

Coach Liu Heng's "ruthless" guidance made the outside world see the core competitiveness of the national table tennis team's "accurate analysis and confidence".

Conclusion

The charm of the table tennis arena lies in its uncertainty.

There is no eternal "strong man", only the "challenger" who is always ready.

For Zhang Benzhihe, this failure may be an opportunity to adjust his status.

For the Japanese team, how to make up for the shortcomings of talents and get rid of the "core dependence" will be the top priority in the future.

This game reminds the entire international table tennis world: if you want to gain a foothold in the field for a long time, it depends not only on the "inspiration" of some top players, but also on the entire team's all-round strength from players to coaches, from training to tactics.

Obviously, the national table tennis team has long been well aware of this, and this may be the root of the "national table tennis team dominance".

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Information source of this article: Guangming.com, China Youth Network, Jiupai News