Get Your Game Face On with Dora Kurimay

Dora Kurimay is an ex-Hungarian team junior player, turned highly educated sport psychology expert and competitive US player. She is just one week away from the launch of her highly anticipated new book titled 'Get Your Game Face On!' which ties her expertise in sport psychology with her experiences in table tennis. She exclusively invites you to join her for her book launch hosted at SPiN New York, see details further below. Thanks for the interview Dora and best of luck with the book launch! Also special thanks to Carl Horowitz for his help with this interview :)

For those of you who can't wait for the hard copy launch of the book, it can be found HERE on amazon available in e-book format: 

What got you started playing table tennis and how old were you when you started?

I come from a very sporty family. So the question was never whether I was going to play a sport, rather which sport it was going to be. My older sister was already playing tennis and my parents did not want us to play the same sports. So, I had been trying out various sports, when my cousin who was a professional table tennis player took me to Statisztika, one of the best table tennis clubs in the world. I immediately knew I found MY sport. I was eight at the time.

Did you start off training seriously right from the beginning?



Not at all! I mean I started out with going twice a week, with all the other beginners. But soon, I was picked out as a “talent” and I was put into an advance group. By the time I was 10 I found myself at practice every day – I should add willingly :) .

What do you feel is your greatest victory on the table tennis court?

One of my greatest victories happened in California against a really good male (he used to be an over 2500/2550) player. Before our match he came up to me and told me that I had no chance to beat him. He was basically trash talking. Well, he managed to make me super focused and determined and I ended up beating him… actually not just once but twice during the same day in two separate events. And it has happened to me a couple times that when really good and well known male players teased me or made fun of me before the match I ended up playing my best and beating them :). What can I say, I like to rise to a challenge.

How old were you when you played in the Hungarian National Team? 
How long did you play for the Hungarian National team?



I played for the Hungarian National team from age 14 till age 19.

I think you stopped playing for a while at the age of 19; what were some of the factors that made you decide to stop playing?

Honestly, I felt really burned out. There I was 19 year old and my entire life had been revolving around playing table tennis. And let me add that being 19 in Europe is very different than being 19 in the US. In Europe most people have a lot more freedom to explore things from an earlier age. But in any case, I felt the urge to try something new. So I applied and got accepted to one of the best Hungarian Universities, Eotvos Lorand University, to study for my MA degree in Psychology. It was a good excuse to stop playing for a while. I needed a break…

Dora Kurimay inspiring female players

And how long did you stop for?



I stopped playing for 5 years… I didn’t even touch my paddle…

What got you to come back to the sport?


I moved to the US because I got a scholarship to study Sport Psychology at JFK, my second masters. I came naturally that as I was learning theories of sport psychology I was relating them to my former athletic experiences. And thinking about the theories I was studying in relation to my experiences as a player made me want to play again. So, there I was in sunny California and I was playing inside! But of course, I really enjoyed it and soon I also started playing tournaments. For fun, but also to actually seriously put some of the sport psychology techniques that I studied to test. And guess what? They worked :) – and not only did I enjoy playing again but I was also competing successfully.

Did table tennis originally spark your interest in sports psychology?

Yes, It was through table tennis that I was first introduced to the idea of sports psychology. When I was 14 I had to see a sport psychologist, we all did in my club. I was very reserved towards her and to the whole idea at first, but then soon I realized how much sport psychology could help me. At one point, I was challenged by injuries and sickness, so I used visualization while I couldn’t practice and it helped me tremendously. From than on I respected the power mental strength could have on performance.

And did that ultimately play a role in your return to the sport?



Yes, what a good point! it’s very interesting. I never really thought about it in this way but it’s true! First, Table Tennis sparked my interest in sports psychology then Sport Psychology sparked back my interest in table tennis.

At this point, how do you see table tennis and sports psychology working together in the niche you've created for yourself in the table tennis world?



I am in a position to increase the use and visibility of sport psychology in table tennis.

What is working and competing at Spin like for you?

SPiN has a really nontraditional sport environment. It’s really interesting working and competing there. I meet many interesting people and also lead social events, organize tournaments, coach and compete there.

I notice most of the higher rated players are guys; things can get a little competitive?

Yes, everybody is very competitive. They make a big deal who lose against who… but it’s all part of the game ;)

How do you handle that stress as one of the few females around who can give those guys some competition?



Usually guys don’t like playing against female players. You know, they are always expected to win, which can be a lot of pressure, especially when they play against very good female players. It’s easier for me to play against guys because it’s less pressure for me. But otherwise, I handle the stress the same way than against women; I use my Game Face routine, breathing, and positive self-talk.

Dora Kurimay at SPiN New York
The venue for her book launch on May 8th

Do you see yourself as a role model for some of the girls and younger women moving up in the rankings; showing that you can be competitive without losing touch with your feminine side?

I think it is the wrong question to ask. I mean have you ever heard anyone asking male table tennis players about how they could be good athletes and attractive at the same time? I really don’t think the two, meaning being feminine and competitive are mutually exclusive.

Are you more a fan of skirts or shorts in women’s table tennis?

I like both. I used to be more a fan of shorts but lately I have been playing in skirts :)

What does women’s table tennis need more of to encourage more young female players to start participating?

We need more women players and role models who can encourage young women to start playing. Also, we have to show that table tennis is not a male only sport. In addition, having new clubs and after school programs could help a lot.

Tell us a bit more about the Game Face Program.

Is this the first time that this method has been used in table tennis?



Yes, indeed.

What makes the Game Face Program unique?



It’s a holistic program that incorporates mental and physical skills. It is a unique approach because it is tailored to table tennis and teaches you how to manage all aspects of your game. Just like having your personal application.

Do you know any other sport psychology publications that are specifically tailored to table tennis?



I am not aware that they exist. Not yet anyway.

Are workshops or individual sessions in this method available?

Yes, I’m offering workshops and individual sessions as well. I am also in the process of finishing the online video tutorial program, which will be available in June 2012.

What can players gain from reading about the Game Face Program?

Game Face Volume 1 is a quick read, it provides you some good tips how to deal with stress, with competition, and with discipline in all walks of life and this book provides good advice, based on cutting edge psychological theories, for dealing with all of the above. You walk away from the book having learned that you need to control your reactions after you make mistakes, behind the table or behind your desk.

Dora in the Game Face zone

Related Questions to Table Tennis Mentality

Is it possible to always achieve being in the zone?

It’s a really good question. I would say it’s possible to bring out your best every time when you step to the table. Every day is different and all you can do is bring the best out of yourself on any given day. An athlete can only peak 4 or 5 times a year. When you are in the zone you forget everything around you and are fully in tuned with your body and mind. All you can see is the ball.

Most players have bad days where they just don't seem to be capable of executing, can this be avoided totally or just reduced?



As I mentioned before you can only bring out your best for that day. With that is said, on the days when your maximum is say 60% you most certainly can still minimize the negative self-talk and stay in focus. With applying your Game Face you will make sure that you deliver 60%.

Are there 'exercises' that have worked specifically well for you for your mental game?

Visualization has been a very helpful technique in increasing my confidence and also preparing myself to handle stress much better. Deep breathing is another very powerful technique that I have been using when I am faced with a challenging situation.

A lot of people say it comes down to hard training purely, is this partially true?



It’s definitely true but I believe in quality over quantity. Whenever an elite athlete trains it should be focused on the particular techniques and skills that he or she wants to work on. Just training without a plan and specific goals can do more harm than good. How you approach training, whatever routine you develop, will ultimately determine how you perform during competition. It is in your muscle memory. As I explain in my book, your Game Face routine starts with practice. You need to train the way you want to perform. Having a clear strategy and making the most out of your training sessions. Mental skills are the same. You have to practice them during practice in order to be able to rely on them during competition.

How important do you think the mental game is? More important than the technical side, 50/50 or less so?



I would say that after you master your table tennis skills 70% of the game is mental. If you are mental game is strong it can give you the necessary edge to beat players who are more skilled than you are.

The Chinese team is known to have sports psychologists to help them with their training and preparation for competitions, do you think this gives them an advantage?

Of course it gives them advantage but their technique, table tennis skills and game are just already spectacular.

What kind of things would they be discussing or doing with a sports psychologist to help their performance?

How they keep their Game Face On when they need it the most ;)

Seriously I would say: breathing, visualization, pre-performance routine, focusing techniques… etc. Maybe we should ask them!

Thanks so much for a very thorough and detailed interview. Remember you are all invited to join Dora for the launch of 'Get Your Game Face On' see below!

Chile Open 2012 - Champions Emerge

The finals were decided for the Chile Open 2012, in the mens a string of superb victories led Japan's Kazuhiro Chan to the final where he met up with Singapore's Gao Ning. In the women's it was Li Jiawei making her way into the final to face the currently on-form Kim Kyung Ah.

Gao Ning the victor in Chile 2012

In the mens final Kazuhiro was unwound with Gao Ning really not giving him any chance to make any big moves. The first set was a tight 12-10 in Ning's favour, the second went the way of Chan. After that it was Gao Ning making all the calls and claiming the next 3 sets by comfortable margins to take the match and to etch his name in history as a champion in Chile. For Gao Ning a superb result, adding to just one Pro Tour victory, the Indian Open in 2007, an uninspiring record for such a great player.

Kim Kyung Ah is in awesome form and let it show. With her tight 4-3 win in the semifinals over Yang Ha Eun, she was looking to capitalise. She maintained the form which led her to success both at the WTTC and the Spanish Open to also add the Chile Open 2012 to her list of victories. She stole away the match from Li Jiawei in straight sets, 4-0. Will Kim Kyung Ah pose a threat to China for the coming Olympics? Who knows, she is certainly playing well at the moment.

Chile Open 2012 - Top Seeds Fail Again

In yet another surprising turn of events, the top seeds for the ITTF World Tour Chile Open 2012 have been eliminated, this time in the quarterfinal stages! Japan's Jun Mizutani and Sinapore's Feng Tianwei were the top seeds at last weekend's Spanish Open but both failed to progress past the semifinals. Unfortunately it was de javu for them.

Early exit for Feng Tianwei again in Chile

Mizutani suffered a 6 set defeat at the hands of teammate Kazuhiro Chan, the match was very close with all the sets being 11-8 or greater. In the women's it was last week's Spanish Open finalist Yang Ha Eun who, also with a 4-2 margin, closed Feng Tianwei out of the tournament.

Another notable repeat exit early in the tournament was that of Kasumi Ishikawa, the 2nd seed losing in the round of 16 to USA's Zheng Jiaqi. A repeat success on the other hand was that of Spanish Open winner Kim Kyung Ah, who defeated Ai Fukuhara in the quarterfinal stages. Kim is on great form of late and will be looking to jump at the opportunity in Chile with the top 2 seeds now eliminated.

NZOC Criteria Hits Final Nail in Coffin for Olympic Hopefuls

It was sad news for Olympic hopefuls Li Chunli and Phillip Xiao today as their London Campaign came to an end, not at failure to qualify, but at failure to meet strict New Zealand Olympic Committee requirements. The criteria states that athletes must have a realistic chance of finishing in the top 16 of the Olympic draw. The result of this strict criteria is that only two male players have ever represented New Zealand at the Olympic Games in the mens.

Phillip Xiao after qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics
Image courtesy of ITTF-Oceania

Phillip Xiao was the third player to qualify for the Olympic Games at the Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament, but impressed supporters by defeating both Justin Han (2nd Australian qualifier) and David Powell in 2 of the stages. Phillip is ranked number 1 in NZ mens and lead the NZ team at the 2010 World Team Champs and the 2011 World University Games.

Li Chunli was a bronze medallist at the 1997 World Cup, she had many results against top 20 WR players including World Number 2 Li Ju (CHN) at the 1998 World Cup. In 2002 she won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games after defeating Singapore's Li Jiawei in the final. She peaked at a world ranking of 28th. At 50 years of age she has returned, qualifying 2nd and beating all but one player in the Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament. She returned to the world rankings at 160th after a successful campaign at the WTTC 2012 where she won the majority of her matches in division 2. Chunli is a 4 time Olympic representative for New Zealand.

Recently the ITTF sent a letter to the Vanuatu Table Tennis Association officially congratulating their athletes Anolyn Lulu and Yoshua Singh on qualifying for the Olympics. This result can only come at the outcome of New Zealand being unable to compete and as such it is clear that the NZOC have decided not to send the New Zealand competitors to the London 2012 Olympics. It is a huge opportunity for Vanuatu, but a sad day for New Zealand, as athletes who strive to achieve goals are held back from the opportunity.

Li Chunli vs. Jian Fang Lay (1st qualifier)

Video of the Week - 26/04/12

A great matchup at the European Olympic Qualification Tournament from a couple of weeks ago, immense pressure, everything on the line with Olympic Qualification opportunity. Jens Lundqvist vs. Bora Vang!

Video by GecaPhoenix

What's Hot This Week - 26/04/12

This weekend will mark the semifinals of the 2011/2012 German Bundesliga season. It's been a long road and for 4 teams, a successful one so far. Bringing together the very best players in Europe, the bundesliga is perhaps the most well established professional table tennis league around the globe. This weekend will see two limelight teams fighting for their places in the final. Those teams are Saarbrucken and Borussia Dusseldorf.

Timo Boll would be a pivotal selection for this weekend's match
Image courtesy of Borussia Dusseldorf

Saarbrucken, lead by Germany's Bastian Steger will face TTF Leibherr Ochsenhausen in their semifinal. Saarbrucken have been devastating this season and have lead the league for the majority of the season with an incredible victory ratio. We will have to wait and see if Ochsenhausen will play the still recovering Tiago Apolonia for this crucial matchup. On the other side Borussia Dusseldorf will come up against Jan-Ove Waldner's Fulda-Maberzell. The two teams head to head stand 1-1 this season, but no doubt Dusseldorf will be sure to play Timo Boll in order to greatly increase their chances of winning this match.

Spanish Open 2012: Chuang is Champion

A great finals match ensued at the 2012 ITTF World Tour Spanish Open, with both the top seeds having been eliminated it was the finest in form left at the final hurdle. Chinese Taipei's Chuang Chih-Yuan staked his desire to pin another World Tour to his repertoire while Lee Jung Woo was hunting for his first. The clash was tight from the word go, the first two sets 11-9 and 12-10 in Chuang's favour, hard fought and earned, point for point. Lee launched a fight back winning 2 sets by a clear 11-7 margin but the more experienced player Chuang was not about to let the game fall from his grasp, he took the match 4-2 and with it, the Spanish Open 2012 title.

Chuang Chih-Yuan, champion in Spain 2012
Image from ITTF

In the womens it was the more experienced Kim Kyung Ah, riding off the back of a successful WTTC campaign, who soared through to the finals and continued on to claim victory. It took just 5 sets for the Korean to defeat her compatriot Yang Ha Eun, taking an early 3-0 lead and dropping just one set before she closed out the match for the title.

Chuang's top match in the Semis vs. Mizutani

Spanish Open 2012: Going the Full Distance to the Finals

Full Distance was the theme of the 2012 ITTF Spanish Open semifinals. An on-form Vladimir Samsonov was out firing after having claimed victory over Gao Ning in 4 straight games in his quarterfinal. Lee Jung Woo was the star to watch though after taking a win over 2nd seed Dimitrij Ovtcharov. Both of the two semifinals progressed to the 7th and final sets before the victors were decided.

Chuang Chih-Yuan heads for Finals in Spain

Jun Mizutani looked to maintain his momentum as the top seed for the event, he took off to a 2-0 lead over Chinese Taipei's Chuang Chih-Yuan. Chuang looked to have no way of breaking through his opponent in the first two sets. He found some balance in the next two sets which he won both 11-8 with reasonable comfort. Mizutani struck back to win the 5th set 11-6, asserting dominance and making a move to claim the match. It was not to be, Chuang repeated his form of his winning sets and took another two 11-8 sets to seal out the match 4-3. A disappointing result for Mizutani but positive for Chuang who will no doubt be looking for a good result after his tragic loss to Maharu Yoshimura in the semifinals at the recent Asian Cup.

For Samsonov, catchup was the word on the cards. Lee Jung Woo wasted no time in winning 3 of the first 4 sets to take a 3-1 lead. The classy young Korean showing no signs of slowing down. Samsonov stepped up his form to win the 5th and 6th sets and setup a 7th set showdown. The result went in the Korean's favour by an 11-6 margin. Lee Jung Woo will face Chuang Chih-Yuan for the title in the final. Promises to be an exciting match!

The women's semifinals were also 7 set matches. Yang Ha Eun of Korea came back from 3-0 down against the homeside's Spanish star Shen Yanfei, who had beaten Feng Tianwei earlier. The Korean fought hard to win the next 4 sets in a row and lock her place in the final. Kasumi Ishikawa suffered the same lengthy defeat to the enduring and amazing Kim Kyung Ah. The match was decided 12-10 in the 7th and Kim booked her finals spot. Stay tuned for the finals!

Great match for Samsonov against Gao Ning in Spanish Open Quarters

Koki Niwa Qualifies First in Asian Qualification

Koki Niwa was the surprise of the year at the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in Hong Kong. The 17 year old skillfuly made his way through a high class of opposition, including none other than world number 1, Ma Long who he dispatched in 6 sets in the semifinal of the first stage. Niwa had first had to progress through a qualifying group to make the main draw. He sailed through his round of 16 and quarterfinal matches to set up his semifinal with the hot favourite.

Ma Long didn't look to be in the zone at all, with constant errors on his backhand side even in medium paced rallies, service return errors were frequent and we was caught out of position on a number of occasions. Koki Niwa was quick to capitalise and won the crucial points in the tight moments of the match, it was enough for him to claim the match. The 17 year old star ecstatic with his win and becoming the first player to qualify from the tournament for the 2012 London Olympic Games and also the first non-chinese player to beat Ma Long in many many months.

Best points from the match Koki Niwa v. Ma Long

Spanish Open 2012 - Semifinals set in Stone

You could almost say the lineup for the 2012 ITTF World Tour Spanish Open was the expected one with a strong matchup between Vladimir Samsonov and Lee Jung Woo in one semi and Chuang Chih-Yuan and Jun Mizutani in the other. That would not be the case. It was a 5 set upset which led Lee Jung Woo into the semifinals, over none other than WR 10 German player and 2nd seed Dimitrij Ovtcharov. This will no doubt be disappointing for Ovtcharov who looked promising at the WTTC and even scored a convincing win over top seed Mizutani, a sign that the World Tour title could have potentially be clinched in the fists of the German player. Alas elimination was the alternative. In the other quarterfinal, Vladimir Samsonov was hard at work. Many times now we see Samsonov coming up against Gao Ning with swinging results, this time it was an astounding 4-0 victory to the Belarussian player, a great sign that he is not ready to bow out yet.

Mizutani remains favourite for the Spanish Open win

In the womens, top seed Feng Tianwei was eliminated by the homeside's best Shen Yanfei in 7 sets. Kim Kyung Ah is still in the running also, she will face Kasumi Ishikawa in her semifinal while Shen will come up against Korea's Yang Ha Eun. Stay tuned!

Video of the Week - 20/4/12

Going to try and keep it going this time! I'll be looking to post a variety of videos from a variety of events and sources, even documentaries and stories, inspirational videos etc. For this week though it's GecaPhoenix with his fantastic coverage of the French League, bringing you an awesome matchup.

Marcos Freitas of Portugal against Sweden's Par Gerell.

What's Hot this Week - 20/04/12

Crazy news emerging from the Spanish open where WR 50 player Matilda Ekholm has been beaten by Japan's surprise star, 11 year old Mima Ito. Mima, a winner of last year's Chinese Taipei Junior and Cadet Open has now qualified through to the main draw of the ITTF World Tour Spanish Open. Qualifying for the main draw of a World Tour is no mean feat, but for an 11 year old, it's simply outstanding.

11 year old Mima Ito

Don't be fooled though, Mima has currently achieved a world ranking of 192, a great achievement for one so young and a sign of changing times. Japan are breeding a generation of fantastic table tennis performers, it is positive to see, perhaps in 5 years time Mima will be challenging China's best, certainly she has taken one very big step towards that end. We will watch with interest!

MHTT Blog Endorsement

I recently sought out endorsement from players who have supported my blog since I started it. I chose players who I admire and respect and created a new banner featuring them. Here is a little background on the extended MHTT family.

TTEdge founder William Henzell

William Henzell: William is an Australian player, currently ranked 123 in the World. He dedicated to table tennis at the age of 14 and moved to Sweden to begin playing more seriously. William has been the Australian Champion 8 times and has won the Australian Open on 5 occasions. He is a 3 time Oceania Champion and also won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2006. William is the co-founder of TTEDGE his site dedicated to providing educational information on table tennis through all levels of player. William is a very humble and professional player and excels at playing fast counters closer to the table.

Romanian National Champ Hunor Szocs

Hunor Szocs: Hunor is this years Romanian National Champion. Currently ranked 267 in the world. Hunor won the prestigious European Cadet Championships at a young age and currently plays for TTC Neuhausen in the first division of the Swiss Table Tennis League, whilst training in Ochsenhausen, Germany. Hunor will be moving to play in the 2nd division of the German League next year whilst training in Bremen, one of the bundesliga's finest clubs. Hunor has a very clean aggressive style of playing and is great to watch.

Stiga sponsored Jean Michel Saive

Jean Michel Saive: Where can you start with Jean-Mi? An inspirational player, known broadly as 'the fighter' because of his continuing determination and commitment to competing in table tennis. Jean-Mi was ranked number 1 in the world for 515 days in 1994 after winning the European Championships and the European Top 12 tournament that year. He won silver medals at the 1993 WTTC and at two World Cups. Jean Michel Saive played Waldner on 47 occasions during his career and was the victor in 21 of those matches, one of the more impressive records. He continues to demonstrate fighting spirit and is infamous for his talent for lobbing.

Vladimir Samsonov

Vladimir Samsonov: Another former World Number 1 from Belarus. Vladimir, a 3 time World Cup winner and victor of a number of Pro Tour events is currently ranked 13 in the world. He won a silver medal at the 1997 WTTC and won the European Championships on 3 occasions along with the European Top 12 tournament on 4 occasions. One of Europes finest players of all time with an affinity for playing wide angles at a more controlled pace, Samsonov remains to be, along with Timo Boll, one of the leading European players of this generation.

English No.1 Liam Pitchford

Liam Pitchford: Liam Pitchford is Europe's rising star. Having been a finalist in now two English National Championships Mens Singles Events, he is eagerly continuing to develop and achieve top results. Currently ranked 147 in the world and quickly rising, he is a member of the TTF Leibherr Ochsenhausen team in the German bundesliga. He stunned followers at the 2011 European Championships with wins over Dimitrij Prokopcov, Alexey Smirnov and former World Number 1, Vladimir Samsonov. He is definitely one to watch!

Margarita Pesotska

Margarita Pesotska: Currently ranked 52 in the world, from Ukraine, Margarita recently achieved her way to the London 2012 Olympics. Margarita won a bronze medal at the 2011 European Championships and was the winner of the European Cadet Championships in 2006, followed by two consecutive wins of the European Youth Championships in 2008 and 2009. Margarita plays in the Russian Table Tennis League and travels from Kiev where she studies and lives.

Spread the Word!

European Olympic Qualification 2012

The competition is heating up with the group stages completed. Tiago Apolonia looks to be in good form, returning from an operation on his left knee. Some amazing efforts to make the Olympics going on here and form carrying from the recent WTTTC is definitely showing. Everyone is fighting and it's clear that anyone has a chance to make the last 11. I've made my picks on Bwin which is offering for this event, the link on the left hand sidebar will take you there if taking an educated risk is your kind of fun!

Pete Zolt took out Kirill Skachkov, a world ranking gap of over 100 places but still a testament to Zolt's sensational efforts at the World Team Championships. Shimon Rabinovich from Israel was able to beat Allan Bentsen, a gap of over 200! This Olympic fight is bringing out the best in everyone.

Now the main draw begins and my busy week is over, it's time to follow the real action!

A Comprehensive Review of the New Table Tennis Ball by William Henzell

Many nervous moments and questions have been asked of the new plastic table tennis ball which is expected to transition into international table tennis now in 2014. William Henzell acquired some of the new DHS brand table tennis balls at the 2012 Dortmund World Team Championships from Wang Liqin and has given a comprehensive video review of the ball in his latest video at the Werner Schlager Academy. In parts it seems quite a gloomy outlook, with Henzell expecting many players will have to 'retrain' their expectations of how the ball will behave and where it will go on the table. Check out the video below.

Waiting for London 2012

Well the World Table Tennis Championships is over, it was thrilling. Many late nights for me to get things done so it was covered well. Still got a couple more videos to make for the event but mostly on top of things. Just a week now to the European Olympic Qualification Tournament, I'd like to keep in touch with that event so you guys can follow it also.

I have been lucky enough once again to have the support of GecaPhoenix, who has created the most spectacular promotional video for my blog and the conclusion of WTTC / leadup to Olympics. The guy is a video making genius and it's such an honour. Please share the video with friends to support his work, that is the best way we can show our appreciation! Enjoy the video :)

Post-WTTC Interview with England's Liam Pitchford

As the German team geared up to face China in the Mens final of the 2012 Leibherr World Team Championships, England's Liam Pitchford was boarding a train to Ochsenhausen. I took the opportunity during his 5 hour long train trip to do a live interview, of course taking a break to live stream the finals.



 Ok, so you are on the 5 hour long train trip back to Ochsenhausen already. How tiring is it playing a whole week of matches at the World Team Championships?




Oh it's exhausting, it takes everything out of you mentally and physically.



 Does the hard training and playing tournaments really come close to preparing you for it? I mean a week of table tennis really something else isn't it.



 Yeah, obviously it gets you prepared but you can never really get fully prepared because you never know what can happen when you get out on the table.



Is this the kind of intensity you would expect to experience at the London Olympics in terms of matches? Obviously if you were in London there are no divisions so I guess automatically it would be on a whole other level.


I don't think so. I think the Olympics will be on a whole different level! Especially being an Englishman.



Of course! What kind of chances do you think you have of making it to the Olympic Games?




Personally I think I've got a massive chance! Especially with the home nation getting 3 players for the team! I've been playing well and getting results recently so I hope I can continue that and get even better results.


How did you feel about the results of your individual matches in the WTTC? I know you find the team's 5th place finish a little disappointing. Overall weigh up your WTTC out of 10.


Overall I was quite happy, I got 3 higher ranked win. Obviously the loss to India was disappointing and losing to Kamal 3-2 was a bit annoying but I can learn from it and hopefully do better next time! I would say about 7.5.


Looking at the final tonight what do you think? Are the Germans in any kind of form to pose a threat to China?



Yeah I think they are! I think if Timo plays first and can win then that puts the Chinese under massive pressure and with Dimitrij playing well anything can happen.




What do you think of Jorg Rosskopf playing Patrick Baum in 3rd? Do you think it's the best choice for the team?



Yea I would say so! If the team is winning then he should stick with him. If he just gets dropped after losing one match I don't think it sends out a very good message.




Looking back on the WTTC is there anyone who stood out as particularly surprising? I know Thomas Keinath made two upsets against Russia, beating Smirnov and Skachkov.


Hmm, I didn't really see much of the other matches to be honest but I think Robert Floras from Poland made some surprising results.


He did beat Werner Schlager yes! 
Did you manage to keep up with any results from France? I found their results a little surprising to be honest, especially considering how well Gauzy and Robinot have been playing in World Tours.


No I didn't really. I saw Robinot lost some matches which were a little bit surprising but they are still young and you can't expect them to play like world beaters every tournament.



Olympics wise how would you see Timo Boll's chances of winning a medal?



Hmm I would say it's difficult but now there are only 2 Chinese allowed to play anything is possible!




Changing the topic to Ochsenhausen, how has it been? Clearly the results are starting to show, do you have any regrets about pursuing the Bundesliga?


It's been good, slightly disappointing with the team's results but I'm happy with how my game is progressing there. Now it's one of the best leagues in the world.




I imagine you would like the opportunity to play more matches? What's it goes to take for you to be more of a permanent fixture in the matches?


Yea of course, I've played a few more recently because of Tiago's injury but it's still difficult! I just need to keep improving.



Are you going to live stream the final? It's starting now.



Yeah I've got it on




Pretty loud crowd aye. How often do you find yourself watching table tennis on a computer? Can't be very often?




Yeah. No not so often just sometimes to watch opponents or analyse my game.



What'd you make of the first set? Chance for Timo?



Yeah I think he came out being positive and that's what he needs to do.





Comeback on the cards? Zhang Jike is looking almost invincible now 2-0 up.




No chance now.

Do you think china studying and analysing Boll so much makes it too difficult for him to win? I almost rate Ovtcharov's chances more.

Yeah I suppose it does but he must study them aswell.




If you could choose a player from any era of the game to be your coach who would it be and why?

Hmm you've got to say Waldner haven't you, just because he was such a genius on the table.




Is that transferrable though? lol
Is is talent or knowledge that made him a genius? Hard to say I guess.



Both, he used to study his opponents so much so he knew what they would do when it was close and stuff.



How committed to that 'study' are you when it comes to analysing opponents?



I could probably do it alot more to be honest but I'm getting better. I studied Henzell before I played him at Worlds and was ready for the serves and that worked I guess lol.



Do you think William exposing his training on the web made him easier to analyse?



No not really because you can analyse players from any matches on the web.


True enough. What did you make of the team final? If China can beat all the best countries 3-0, how long will it take for a country to beat them?



It was a decent match but China are just that bit stronger at the moment! It's hard to say but I hope it's soon haha.


Perhaps England can have a crack at it at the Olympics? Boris Johnson would be happy, I think 'Ping pong is coming home' where his words after the last Olympics when London were announced as the host.



Yeah it would be nice to have a shot against the! Yeah he did so I hope we can have some good performances there.


What will it mean for table tennis if you perform well in London? I heard it had a huge funding cut and has ended up being the lowest funded of all the Team GB Olympic sports.



I think it will put it back on the map and hopefully get us more noticed. Yeah we had a cut but we're still doing alright.



So, European Olympic Qualification tournament in one week. Will you be rady for it? obviously a week is not a long time to recover from a World Championships?



Yeah I think I'll be ready! Yeah it's tought I've also got two Bundesliga matches this week but I'm looking forward to it.


Two matches in a week! Is that normal for Bundesliga?



No not really but it's near the end of the season and obviously with a lot of big tournaments coming up.



How many chances are there to qualify for London from the European Qualification Tournament? What's it going to take to make the cut?




I think it's 11 that qualify but I'm not sure! It's going to take some big performances to qualify!




Well judging by your performances since moving to Ochsenhausen you've demonstrated some big performances, I guess all that's left to say is good luck and go hard. Or team GB's latest catchphrase 'let's have it' or #letshaveit commonly appearing on Twitter. Where did that come from?

Yeah I hope I can produce some more! Thank alot! erm I don't know really, I guess it's just something us English say haha.




Seems to have taken off. Thanks for the interview Pitch and we will watch with interest next week.

Thank you.