by Wade Townsend
Kasumi Ishikawa, Miu Hirano, Mima Ito. They are some of the biggest names in table tennis but they won’t be appearing in the second round of the Women’s Singles at the Seamaster 2017 Australian Open.
The Japanese triumvirate fell in their opening matches of the Women’s Singles. The stronghold of Japanese table tennis was broken in a matter of hours.
On each occasion it was China that dealt the knockout blow. It is common knowledge that the strength of the Chinese women’s team runs deep and today we had a taste of what that really means. One by one Japan fell to the table tennis super power.
What went wrong?
Maybe, just maybe, the Japanese trio are too strong for their own good. They are now seen as such a threat that their game has been studied inside out. China undoubtedly now dedicates hours to developing tactics and also simulating their opponent’s styles in practice. Is a “Dummies Guide to Playing Miu Hirano” in the works?
Or perhaps it was just a bad day.
Either way, Miu Hirano will now have more time to hang out with Diane the Koala.
