Moregaard advanced! Swedish star Karsson made a bold statement: The gap between us and the Chinese team is narrowing

On August 7, in the first round of the men's singles in the WTT Yokohama Championship, Swedish player Moregaard had a fierce showdown with Nigerian star Aruna. In the first game, Moregaard started slowly and fell behind 0-4 for a while, but he quickly adjusted his state to tie the score and overtake it. After the two sides tied 6, Moregaard scored 4 points in a row to get the game point. Although Aruna stubbornly saved three game points, the Swedes still won the first game 11-9

in the second game Moregaard took advantage of the victory and took the lead 5-1. Although Aruna chased to 7-8, at the critical moment Moregaard relied on his god The odd defense and luck balloon won 11-9 again; the third game became a one-sided game, and Aruna asked for a timeout when she was behind 1-4 but it was useless. Moregard was completely in control of the situation and finally easily locked the victory 11-4, sweeping the opponent 3-0 to advance to the top 16

When Moregard and Aruna met in the Yokohama Championship, this game was given special significance. Both players were known for their strong forehands, but the direction of the game revealed a deeper technological evolution; Aruna, the flagship figure in the African table tennis world, has continued to evolve in recent years, The backhand position that once "only knows very ancient bounce or sticking defense" is now able to skillfully use modern technologies such as pulling and flirting. However, in the face of Moregard's changing tactical system, his progress is still insufficient

Moregard's "God's Plug" defense and key points grasp ability show the characteristics of the world's top players, but this Swedish star is not flawless. His technical characteristics of "strong and weak" are described by experts as "straight-board and straight-board" and are often targeted by opponents as straight-board players; in the US Open Grand Slam not long ago, Japanese player Yuuo Tanaka was determined by his firmness. Implementing the "regulating positive and counter-pressure" tactic, and eliminated Moregard in an upset way. After this victory, Moregard will face the winner between Matsushima Hirokaku and Lee Sang-soo in the next round. The lottery analysis of the Yokohama Championship shows that Moregard is located in the 3/4th zone, including strong opponents such as French star Felix Lebron, outside the arena, the remarks of another Swedish table tennis star attracted widespread attention. Carlson said bluntly in an interview: "I feel that the Swedish team has become stronger again, and can compete with any team, and the gap with the Chinese team is also narrowing."

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Carlsson specifically mentioned two key battles: the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2018 World Table Tennis Championships, Sweden twice faced head-on with the Chinese team. "Compared with the semi-finals of the 2018 World Table Tennis Championships, there was really no chance at that time, and now I feel that the gap has narrowed." In the men's team final of the Paris Olympics, the Chinese team defeated Sweden 3-0 to win the championship, but what Carlsson saw was not the score, but the details behind the score: "My doubles and Anton vs. Mallong/Wang Chuqin scored 2-3, Moregod vs. Fan Zhendong was 2-3, and I was 2-3 against Wang Chuqin -3. ”

The three 2-3 losses in three games outline a new picture of the confrontation between China and Sweden. When Moregard and Fan Zhendong fought to the decisive game, when the Carlsson combination fought with Malone/Wang Chuqin for five games, the competitiveness shown by the Swedish team is no longer comparable to that in the past; this progress stems from the systematic reconstruction of Swedish table tennis. The new generation of players represented by Moregard are taking over the mantle of seniors such as Waldner and Person, and with new forces such as Karlberg, the Swedish team has formed a reasonable echelon for the three generations of old, middle-aged and young people

Although Carlsson is full of confidence, Swedish table tennis still faces multiple challenges to truly shake China's dominance. On the technical level, Swedish players generally have problems with outstanding specialties but obvious loopholes. Moregard's weak link in the backhand was targeted by the opponent as an example; in terms of talent reserve, although Sweden has top players like Moregard, the overall thickness is far less than that of the Chinese team. When China can send many world-class players such as Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, Liang Jingkun to participate in the competition, the Swedish team mainly relies on a few players such as Moregard and Karlberg to support the overall situation

The white arc of table tennis is in Yokohama Stadium Drawing a new trajectory. When Moregaard easily advanced, Carlson issued a challenge declaration. The road to revival of Swedish table tennis is clearly visible. The score of 2-3 in the Paris Olympics has become the source of their confidence. Once upon a time, such closeness was a luxury; however, the cruelty of competitive sports is that narrowing the gap does not mean that the gap disappears. The profound foundation of Chinese table tennis is like a high wall standing in front of Sweden. The young generation led by Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong are still evolving. The world table tennis world needs challengers like Sweden, but the real replacement of the throne still needs to be seen in the key points of the future competition