Koya Uda/Junsuke Togami BS Teletech Table Tennis Japan! (TV Tokyo Table Tennis NEWS)

WTT Singapore Smash Men's Doubles Fierce Battle! Hayato Mizutani's dry commentary never stops: "That choice is wrong to begin with"

Unfortunately, the Japanese players did not fare well in the singles competition, but the men's doubles pair of Koya Uda and Shunsuke Togami won the top four. Mizutani gave a terribly harsh commentary on the pair, and MC Sou Takei followed the players throughout the live broadcast.

The Japanese pair played Chiu Dan/Benedikt Duda (GER) for a place in the final four. It was a close match that went all the way to the final game, but in the end the Japanese pair took a big 8-1 lead and went on to win 11-3. Mizutani, however, complained about the way the pair played, saying she was bothered by two errors from 8-1. Mizutani said, "There was an atmosphere of 'we're leading, so it's OK. The flow of the match can quickly change from a point like that. They are still young, so I don't think they have any experience with big upset losses. In that sense, it is better for them to experience a big upset loss early on so that they can live with it later on. Mizutani's harsh attitude is the result of his knowledge of the horror of the game and his high expectations for the two players. Mizutani's commentary finally heated up in the semifinal match against Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuxin (China). In the first game, the Japanese pair allowed a 10-12 lead, but Mizutani saw a problem in the fact that Uda, who is supposed to be good at playing the chiquita, only played one chiquita in reception. Mizutani said, "Uda ended up getting hit and scoring a point, so it didn't put pressure on the opponent, and if he played the chiquita, even if he made a mistake, he would know the feeling of the chiquita, but if he didn't, he would waste another one until he got the feel of it later.

In fact, in the first game, four points were scored when Uda was receiving, and Mizutani went so far as to say, "Uda's receiving is a hole for the Japanese pair. In a dry commentary that made one wonder if something was wrong, Mizutani said, "That is a very high-level order. It is because we are aiming to be the best in the world," was all Takei could say. Normally, Mizutani and Takei are quick to lighten the mood with their playful exchanges, but on this day, Mizutani was in full serious mode, leaving no room for Takei to play dumb. In the early stages of the second game, Fan Zhendong missed a drive after a tsuki match, and the Japanese pair scored. Mizutani said, "I think the Japanese pair should be more aggressive, such as flicking the ball more or playing in reverse motion. Even if you score a point because of your opponent's mistake, the Chinese players will always correct it toward the end of the game, so you won't be able to score a point," said Mizutani.

In the middle of the game, there was a rare play that Mizutani praised, but unfortunately it was the play of Wang Chuxing-Qin. He was about to do a chiquita, but switched to a tsuki midway through, and it was an exquisite stop. He was very good. If it had been a Japanese player, he would have gone off the table. If only Uda had such a perfect receiver," said Mizutani, "...let's hope for the best. In the end, the Japanese pair lost this game, too, 7-11, and there was nothing left to do. Uda's service needs to change," said Mizutani. Uda has been playing the same vertical serve up to the third game, so I would like to see a horizontal, YG, or reverse rotation. Mizutani appreciated this. No matter how strong the player is, the first serve is always a wait-and-see affair," Mizutani said. I wonder what kind of rotation and trajectory it will have. Uda's next serve with a sideways roll was aced, and the Japanese pair took the third game 11-9.

In the fourth game, with the game count at 1-2, Uda counter-drove Wang Chuxing-Qin's chiquita with a falling forehand early in the game, which Mizutani also praised as "excellent. However, when Togami sent a long tsuki to the back of Chuxing-Qin Wang at 5-4 that went over and missed, Mizutani was in the most scathing no-no mode this time. The mistake was bad, but even if it had gone in, it would have ended with a hit. That choice was wrong in the first place. For left-handed players, that is the ball they practice the most and are good at. Togami also plays that in singles, but you should stop it. "Even if I had no choice, I would not do it. If I had to do that, I would rather go to the forefoot, even if it floats. Despite Mizutani's harsh criticism, the Japanese pair fought hard to lead 8-6, but in the end lost 9-11. Despite the loss, Mizutani said that the Japanese pair had clarified issues such as their serve and receive, and their aggressiveness in dealing with balls on the table, etc. He is looking forward to the men's doubles gold medal at the World Championships in May, the first in 62 years.

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Source: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/3430a66808002d68179d243e416bec54ed850dff?