WAB CLUB FEATURE: Pleasanton Table Tennis Center

September 29, 2024

(by Steve Hopkins) Pleasanton Table Tennis Center is located at the center of Pleasanton, California to the East of San Francisco Bay with quick access to I-580 and I-680 (and each of the major cities in the area). Pleasanton Table Tennis Center was the first table tennis club in tri-valley to open every day. The club is […]

Early Action Continues at the 2 Million USD China Smash

September 29, 2024

(by Steve Hopkins, photo ITTF) So far, no stunning upsets in Beijing at the China Smash. Top seed Wang Chuqin won his opening match 3-0, and Tomokazu Harimoto and Felix Lebrun each advanced easily as well. Most of the bottom half of the draw will not see action until Monday. There were some small surprises […]

Jha’s German League Streak Ends at Seven

September 23, 2024

(by Steve Hopkins) USA’s Kanak Jha has had an amazing start to the 2024/25 German League. TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt, Jha’s team, are currently in third position, ahead of many of the perennial favorites including Dusseldorf, Saarbrucken, and Ochsenhausen. Today, Schwalbe faced off against current No. 2 Fulda. Fulda features World No. 16 Dimitrij Ovtcharov and […]

The Only Thing That Matters

September 23, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) Let’s keep this simple. This is how a champion thinks: The next point you play is the only thing in the worldthat matters. Note that it’s not the most important thing in the world – that type of thinking would just make you nervous. It’s simply the only thing that matters, and so should […]

WAB CLUB FEATURE: Origin Table Tennis Academy

September 22, 2024

(by Steve Hopkins) Origin Table Tennis Academy is in Little Neck, NY (a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City). The coaching staff is led by Coach Yutian Wang. Origin TTA is dedicated to the growth and development of every student. As a physical activity, table tennis has extraordinary benefits to the training […]

ITTF Rankings: Lin Shidong Jumps into Top 10

September 22, 2024

(by Steve Hopkins) China’s Lin Shidong is the biggest mover this week as he jumped up five spots into the Top 10. Shidong leaped over Lin Gaoyuan (and Tomokazu Harimoto and Lin Yun-Ju and Patrick Franziska and Truls Moregard). Shidong’s jump is based upon the strength of his win in Macao a week ago, and […]

Kanak Jha Among Elite in German League, Team Falters in German Cup

September 22, 2024

(by Steve Hopkins) USA’s Kanak Jha has had an amazing start to the 2024/25 German League. TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt, Jha’s team, are currently in third position, ahead of many of the perennial favorites including Dusseldorf, Saarbrucken, and Ochsenhausen. FC Bayern Munich is currently in first, a squad that features Kirill Gerasimenko and Mattias Falck. The other […]

Written Coaching Material for Table Tennis

September 16, 2024

(by Larry Hodges) Someone once complained that reading coaching articles was pointless since nobody ever became a champion player by reading. He was absolutely right and absolutely wrong. No, you cannot become a champion by reading about it. Coaching articles and books (including mine!) are not meant to be used in isolation. They are supplements to […]

Lind Wins in Bulgaria

September 15, 2024

(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) Anders Lind dominated the draw at this week’s WTT Feeder Series event in Panagyurishte, Bulgaria. Top seeded Steffen Mengel was upset in his first match, leaving Lind as the highest remaining seed. Lind never looked back. Wins of 3-1, 3-0, 3-0, 3-1, and 3-0 dotted Lind’s path to victory, with his […]

Lin Shidong Surprise Winner in Macao

September 15, 2024

(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) Lin Shidong entered the WTT Champions Macao as the 9th seed, but that did not deter him. Shidong, World No. 13, topped Tomokazu Harimotor (World No. 8), Lin Yun-Ju (World No. 9), Wang Chuqin (World No. 1), and Dang Qiu (World No. 12) on his way to the title. Of […]