(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT)
One hundred years after the inaugural World Championships were held in London (1926), the sport returns home for the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals. In this 100th rendition, 64 men’s teams and 64 women’s teams will converge on two iconic London venues — Copper Box Arena and OVO Arena Wembley — to battle for the title of “World Champion”.
The format this year has two tracks to the knock out rounds. State 1A groups are eight teams (in two groups of 4) who will fight for seeding – thought all eight teams are guaranteed a spot in the elimination rounds. Those 1A teams are China, Sweden, Korea Republic, and England in Group 1, and France, Japan, Germany, and Taipei in Group 2. In the end, all eight of these squads (the top seven seeds plus host England) will receive preferred seeding in the final 32-team knockout rounds.
The Stage 1B groups will be locked in a tense, large event, where not all will advance. There are 14 groups of four teams each. The 14 group winners advance straight to the 32-team knockout, while the second-place finishers will be left to fight through a preliminary round to fill the final 10 knockout spots. That means 24 teams from Stage 1B will reach the final knockout rounds to chase the title alongside the top seeds.
Action with the top seeds should be interesting – as matches will be between the best in the world, but without the pressure of elimination. That is, we won’t get to see the crazy pressure of a top World player being pushed by a player outside of the top 100, but we will get to see the world’s best going at each other in their top gear without the fear of mistakes eliminating their team. Expect great rallies and highlight reel shot making – all with big smiles. Things will get tense, but that will come later in the knockout rounds.
For American fans, TeamUSA’s men are the top seed in group 14 with a tough Singapore group, Cote d’Ivoire, and Angola. TeamUSA’s women are at the top of Group 12 with Malaysia, Namibia, and the Dominican Republic.
A hundred years ago, Hungary won the inaugural men’s team event by defeating Austria in a playoff. Neither team is a top seed, though Austria (with Daniel Habesohn) is the highest seed in Stage 1B Group 13, and Hungary (led by World No.92 Csaba Andras) is second seed in Stage 1B Group 4. Perhaps there will be a surprise run. England is another underdog – placed in the Top 8 by virtue of being host, and playing in front of packed home crowds at Wembley – but it will be an uphill battle to make a deep run.
Once the 32-team main draw begins on May 4, it’s single-elimination all the way to the finals on May 10. Every match is best of five, following the classic order: A1 vs B2, A2 vs B1, A3 vs B3, then the deciders if needed. The format hasn’t changed in a hundred years – because there’s not been a need. This format has created great highlights from the best in the world. Let the centennial begin!
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