[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]The 2017 World Championships are going on right now in Dusseldorf, Germany. The qualifying rounds have taken place the first two days and the main seeded players start play today. ESPN3 is a broadcast partner and is scheduled to show table-tennis here in the US.
China is definitely heavy favorites to win all titles but my “bold” prediction is that at least two Chinese players will lose to non-Chinese players in the singles. Here are some potential upsets of the 4 main Chinese players that could happen depending on if the players advance to the rounds where they would face each other:
German legend and former World #1 Timo Boll over World and Olympic Singles and Team Champion and current World #1 Ma Long (they are doubles partners in men’s doubles)
Belarus legend and former World #1 Vladimir Samsonov over World and Olympic Singles and Team Champion Zhang Jike (Samsonov was up 3-2 in the 2012 Olympics before losing 4-3 and Zhang Jike would go on to win gold)
Swedish Olympian Par Gerell over World Cup Champion Fan Zhendong (I lived with Par Gerell for 2 months in 2000 and after losing to him the first time, I beat him every time in practice when he was one of the top juniors in Sweden. Now he can challenge the Chinese so I got left behind! After rooming together, he went pro and I had to go back to college which is the main difference as to what happens to players abroad compared to here as there is no money as a player here. )
Brazil’s Hugo Calderano over World and Olympic Team Champion Xu Xin (Rio native Calderano had the Rio crowd going crazy during last year’s Olympics where he had a run to the final 16 and nearly beat double Rio medalist Jun Mizutani of Japan)
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