Jan-Ove Waldner's Greatest Match!

🔥🔥🔥 YOU CANNOT MISS THIS INSANE SHOWDOWN‼️🍿🍿🍿
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[@FutureGuy47]

Even back in Waldner's days they had better video quality than ittf has today.

[@johnsusanto5535]

😂😂😂

[@albertoalan2172]

And better camera angle

[@Axelh2000]

soo true

[@hang1964]

😂😂😂

[@stukihd786]

that was my thinking dude xd

[@chrismichaels6928]

I don’t know much about world class table tennis but it seems to me , beyond all the talent Waldner has , it’s his profound ability to adapt to player’s different styles. Combine that with incredible touch / ball control , great serves , psychological and emotional control and perfect strokes and you have a legend ... this guy had incomparable charisma ... Thank you Waldner ! 🙏🙏🙏

[@gigliolavaccari7482]

Perfect strokes🤣, this guy has a much older tecnique than the current one obviously, but it is also bad for its time

[@yatinbansal8326]

Waldner exploited the weaknesses in the Chinese penhold game. They have a poor back hand so they tend to stick to the extreme left keeping the forehand wide open. The penhold grip requires the drive, top spin to be played with a full outstretxhed arm, which pushes the player further to his left. Waldner had the best block/defense, razor sharp reflexes and yes, great control. He would block most Chinese attack staying close to the table. His close to the table style, and exploiting Chinese weakness made him the 'Bull in the China Shop'

[@PenisMighty]

@@gigliolavaccari7482 So bad that he went through the entire championship without losing a single set!

[@dickn.ormous1064]

@@yatinbansal8326 On top of this Yan Sen is a lefty and no one plays lefties better than Waldner.Waldner's fh hook to lefty's bh was deadly.

[@ramakrishnakodimala6843]

0

[@hans-georgschmitt2117]

Jan-Ove Waldner was the best player I could witness. He was pure genius. The greatest of his time and for me even the greatest of all time.

[@netirtifar6875]

I think he would lost to any of Ma Long/ Fen Zhendong/ Xu Xin. Today most tt players have far more advanced and quick footworks.

[@taniame]

@@netirtifar6875 that’s kinda true. Just like LBJ is actually better than MJ in many ways. However, MJ is still the goat. If you want to replace some legend in the history, you can’t just beat him on a side by side comparison. You need to best him or her by an obvious margin. This task is extremely difficult if you wanna beat someone who achieved the first grand slam. In Waldner’s later years, he was actually training himself. Still, never fell behind. An absolute genius. If he was born in the 90s, I’m sure he will be one of the best today

[@dickn.ormous1064]

@@netirtifar6875 Fan Zhedong is fat/short and Ma Long is always injured.They look fast because they play against veterans.Yan Sen was the typical Chinese player focusing on serve/third ball attacks and playing near the table.He had the greatest spin/no spin serve among the CNT at the time,he even beat Kim Taek Soo.

[@ez2733]

@@dickn.ormous1064 seriously? Comparing Yan Sen’s serve and attack in small ball era with players nowadays?

[@gigliolavaccari7482]

@@dickn.ormous1064 you have got no idea what you are talking about, fan zhedong is fat? That guy and ma long, which is rarely injured (even though that doesnt mean anything) would easily smoke waldner, they have wayyy better tecnique, footwork, consistency and equipment than he had, you clearly dont play Table tennis professionaly

[@moralomark8858]

The quality of 2006 was even better than the normal quality and then comes a match from 1997 with better quality😂

[@Manuel-bp7sc]

So true, so sad.

[@clarencepsaila4743]

The quality of the table tennis in 1997 was better, not just the footage! These 2 players would be among the top 10 in the world now if they played this way. Brilliant table tennis, much more entertaining with 5 serves each and to 21.

[@anujmchitale]

@@clarencepsaila4743 Your comment on the quality of play makes no sense? How do you compare? Have you seen a match live these days?

[@clarencepsaila4743]

@@anujmchitale Yes I have seen a lot of modern play and I do respect your opinion, however I have certain ideas as to why the level in the past was slightly higher. Of course to prove this, it would require a comparison - I really hope one day a table tennis youtuber like Emrat Thic of Ping Sunday could make one. In any case my reasons are these: 1) The ball was smaller and faster, the spin on the ball was greater. 2) the service could be hidden, serve receive was much harder and people served even better as they could win many points outright 3) your serve would extend for 5 points, so psychology was more important as going down 5-0 without having served is a psychological blow modern players will never understand. 4) playing to 21 also required more stamina as each set would be longer. 5) playing style was more varied, not only is this more aesthetic, but it means that the players in those days had to think more and be capable of overcoming more style than today's loop everything game. 6) the reason today's game revolves around attacking everything is because of the equipment (balls and rubbers mainly) which helps players so much that it favours style such as Harimoto's which would not have given him the opportunity to be a top 10 player in Waldner's time. Table tennis in the past was more skill and brain based with speed and spin. Today's game is more based on power, and rallies - essentially instead of table tennis it is becoming mini tennis. The reason why rallies were shorter in the past is that the spin, deception, variety of strokes etc was greater.

[@anujmchitale]

@@clarencepsaila4743 You make good points in favour of old game. But all the points are applicable to both players competing. So any advantage is null and void. Hence can't compare 2 different eras.

[@oezguer22]

the quality of ittf videos is an april fool

[@swaggceo]

Ma Long even Ma thinks so

[@ralphiew98]

Chen wade agreed with you

[@Spacevet]

Sadly its not a april fool. Always same bad Quality

[@gopalpanday4921]

One of the all time greatest players of Table Tennis history.

[@MrYoumitube]

He is the GOAT, to be competitive and on top for 35 years from a small country like Sweden is just ridiculous. The Chinese may have players who have won more, but Waldner plays the best player from China every 10 years and wins. He has a style and technique unmatched, his variety is extrodianry.

[@dickn.ormous1064]

@@MrYoumitube the Chinese haven΄t won more than Waldner.Only Ma Long during the lost generation era.

[@ttjesus4959]

I always tell people that Waldner would destroy Ma Long, if they were both at their ultimate peak and they played with literally any ball, any rules on the rubbers + glue, and with any scoring system. When you truly break it down, you will realize that Ma Long just doesn't have anything to actually BEAT Waldner with. Whereas Waldner has several things that can actually beat Ma Long. This is because Ma Long is basically just a robot. That's why he's really not that fun to watch, none of the Chinese players are. They come from a tyrannical communist country. So, of course they're never taught to think freely about ANYTHING, including TT. They're just taught "This is how it is. You will do it like this, or you won't advance in the sport". Waldner has a free-thinking mind and he would simply pick Ma Long apart. Plus, you can be damn sure that Waldner would be inside Ma Long's head so badly and he's honestly not that great at dealing with it. He usually hasn't had to deal with it due to the crowd almost always being deeply in favour of him, and China in general. Waldner is the ONLY player ever that the Chinese FEARED and could not figure out. Anyone who says Ma Long is the GOAT is someone who loses all credibility about TT to me. I play at the highest level. Anyone who knows the sport at the very highest level just needs to hear it explained to them why Waldner is actually the GOAT. If they're not convinced after that, then they just don't understand the game on that highest level. I can see the Ma Long vs Jan Ove Waldner match in my head basically. Ma Long would struggle to get more than 1 game off Waldner under any circumstances, if they were both at their peak. Waldner would absolutely destroy Ma with BH punch blocks down the line, which we know Ma is vulnerable to. Waldner would also drive to Ma's FH corner, then go to his BH corner because we know Ma doesn't have a devastating BH whatsoever. We also know that Ma is weak when trying to hit the BH on the move. Also, Waldner would be receiving Ma's serves so well before very long because Waldner intentionally pokes and prods with his receives until he finds exactly what he wants. As soon as Waldner starts taking away Ma's ability to attack the 3rd ball with any comfort, Ma is in major trouble. He plays serves with the sole intention to make a good attack on the 3rd ball. If they played with 38mm cell balls, then Ma would get slaughtered because you have to play your serves to make your opponent bury them into the net, or hit them too long all the time. Then, you attack the 3rd ball whenever they actually get it back. However, the 3rd ball is much harder and much easier in different ways with the 38mm cell ball. It's harder because the ball bounces lower, moves faster, spins harder, and actually arcs + kicks totally differently to even a 40mm cell ball. This all makes setting your feet up for the 3rd ball attack a lot harder. It's easier in the sense that you can hit it harder and/or with more spin on your 3rd ball attack because you gain more table to shoot at essentially, due to the fact that the ball will drop more easily and faster. Therefore, you have more leeway in your shots. Anyway, even if they played with a modern 40+ poly ball, Waldner would outmatch Ma in serving to setup the 3rd ball attack because Waldner is just that damn good at serving and being deceptive on the serve. Plus, Waldner's ability to place his 3rd ball attacks is so underrated. See, regardless of what Ma would do, Waldner would have all the trump cards. There's nothing that Ma would be able to do to actually outplay Waldner in any area of the game. Ma is a table tennis robot. Waldner is a table tennis player. Waldner is also a clever thinker. Ma comes from a country where being a free-thinker is something that could make you end up in prison. So, it's definitely not something ever encouraged in table tennis either. They can't have that happen in their number 1 sport. So, Waldner would be inside Ma's head and Ma would just keep trying to be the best he can be at being a table tennis robot, doing all the things they say you should do as best he can. Waldner would be constantly thinking about how to exploit everything about that way of playing, and he would pull it off for sure. Do you think Ma would be able to suddenly adjust and counteract Waldner's tactical game? No chance. He doesn't even really know how to do that, especially not on the Waldner level. This is why I've idolized one player's play my entire life, and that's Jan Ove Waldner. The more non-Chinese players take after Waldner and play the game by the principles he has always espoused, the more the Chinese will fade away from the top of the sport. Truls is a great example of doing what Waldner believes non-Chinese players should do, and that's PLAYING HIS OWN WAY AND NOT COPYING THE CHINESE. We have to do everything our own way. We have to look at the Chinese as robots that can be outplayed tactically, and with "unorthodox" shots at certain times. We just have to figure out what stuff to keep and what to throw away. Once that happens, the first player to really master it all will be the next Waldner, and perhaps even surpass Waldner. Truls is still super young. I'm curious to see what happens when he settles into his body, his blade, and his rubbers over the next few years. I'm also curious to see what happens as he gets more comfortable playing in tournament finals against the big boys. He could be the guy that dominates China for years and years.

[@russell3642]

@@ttjesus4959 I still think ma long is better

[@irondoc1251]

@@ttjesus4959 Omg 😳! You wrote a book not a comment 🤪.

[@MrYoumitube]

I was mesmerised the first time watching Waldner in 1983, he was taking on top 20 players in the world and holding his own. The GOAT.

[@tseringshrestha4011]

ittf is making us april fool.

[@ttjesus4959]

In case anyone is wondering: Jan is using the Donic Waldner Dicon blade and the Donic Coppa JO Gold Max thickness on the forehand and Donic Coppa JO Platinum Max thickness on the backhand. They're using a 38mm celluoid ball. And yes, the rackets are speed glued like crazy. Just letting everyone know in case anyone wants to try using what the G.O.A.T used on this historic run. And as of today, i believe tabletennis11 has everything you need to do it (I am not affiliated with TT11 in any way).

[@llamanodrama5432]

Did Waldner usually change his equipment or did it stay constant through his career? Atleast the blade

[@llamanodrama5432]

Donic makes some really interesting equipment, their dotec lineup looks really appealing to me

[@dickn.ormous1064]

@@llamanodrama5432 Used slow blades for control and produced power with his body.

[@KA-eu9sy]

38MM yikes.

[@RusInfVis1986]

Waldner is a legend of table tennis!

[@roberthofmann2723]

Wow that's a 5 stars commentary. Super enjoyable to watch!

[@guruprasadshetty2968]

The Stare of Jan Ove Waldner at end was Crazy! Hope we could see him playing in this era too!!

[@jackboult8904]

The first game is the best I have ever seen. I thought so at the time when I watched it live. ...And now, having seen it for the first time since then, I still thinks so!

[@DLC1325]

22:30 Best backhand I've seen from Waldner. Big shoulder turn!

[@peterstill3760]

I don’t know who shot this game but this is really well done. You can see this work is of the highest professional caliber. Sadly this is no longer the case with ITTF crappy videos of recent times that are catastrophic from all aspects, image, angles etc...

[@mickebond996]

100% agree!

[@PongGod]

So pleasantly surprising to find a table tennis video so old on KZbin of such high quality, almost as high quality as The Maestro's play!

[@grindercap]

The final against Samsonov was Walder's greatest match imo.

[@aussiebeast1761]

Waldner GOAT

[@elg0rdo351]

Those were the best times in table tennis by far. So many great characters in the game, all that variety, old way of counting, vicious serves all over the place and everyone was speed-glueing in the locker room which had a social component to it like smoking. :D

[@sesatin2dawell]

And ppl didn't shout after every point

[@elg0rdo351]

@@sesatin2dawell That's right :)

[@kyoung-seonlee8711]

I really appreciate this legend video. Hope to watch more.

[@valdojuniorpescador]

The legendary... Waldner !!!

[@josephrobinson8894]

This particular match is always great to watch over and over again. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@user-qj3xb2lm3m]

He 3-0'ed every opponent in 1997 WTTC, and nobody could repeat this achievement.

[@ktosomcosom19]

4-0

[@Detherocable]

@@ktosomcosom19 21 points, best of 5. Not 7.

[@evertonantunes]

The best player that ever existed, from that time until now! The best!!!

[@benedictifransis7183]

kidding right??? 😆😆 more chinese players better than him in term of skills and achievements

[@evertonantunes]

@@benedictifransis7183 No, Waldner, the best!!!

[@marcpopick248]

Waldner is the greatest. Pure technical skill and savvy is his game.

[@Andy-ez5wr]

The camera angle made this older match much better to watch than the new match.

[@flagella1337]

It's nice to see that quality remained the same over the last few decades.

[@deepakpuri4320]

It is been decaddes since I watched TT . You Tube brought memories back.Back in eighties. Waldner and before him Stellan Bengtsson.

[@flaviolopesbatista2975]

The best player I could ever see playing. JOW the best.

[@arielpefaur1136]

Ma LONG BEST

[@flaviolopesbatista2975]

@@arielpefaur1136 Waldner is from the old generation of table tennis, where there was no technology or equipment. But Má Longe is very good too, although I prefer Xu Xin. Hugs Bro.

[@arielpefaur1136]

@@flaviolopesbatista2975 Ma Long 3 World Champion, Olympic Champion, 64 weeks consecutive #1, 26-19 head to head over Xu Xin

[@justsomerandomlad7540]

Really? Rick rolling us? Man you got me good😂😂😂

[@lildavey09]

I think this is one of the greatest tactical comebacks ever

[@Wally-H]

Waldner really only had to adjust his serve return tactic. The rest is basic stuff for the master, waiting for the penholder to go wide down his backhand side as he steps round for an all-or-nothing forehand and then simply blocking it down the other side of the table. Waldner was a penholder's worst nightmare in the days before they could play the RPB because nobody has ever been better at blocking with precision.

[@jagutichsachma]

he read him inside the first game. they said the guy's only 8th in the country. he can't be getting waldner in trouble in the end.

[@bengreene2652]

Look how tightly packed the crowd are, the atmosphere was amazing for this match. Wish they did the same nowadays

[@deepakpuri4320]

Waldner. Simply amazing.

[@30tabletteralvedon34]

Wow really ittf. You really got me

[@TheMrBennito]

Jan-Ove Waldner and Joo Su Hyuk are my favorite players by far. Waldner simply got it all including the mental part of the game, Joo unmatched defender with great attacking skill

[@eduardoaraujo7298]

Waldner had had the best block all the times! Great

[@loveleensharma1443]

Good to see the audiance with no mobile phones in their hands, just enjoying the game.

[@ttsnap]

wow, impressive game by waldner: in the first set yan sen had a really good start and played his best table tennis. nevertheless you would always have the feeling that waldner was staying cool and yan sen being nervous despite it was standing 11:3, 14:7 in favor of yan and regarding the score it seemed like it would be a hard game for waldner. but then waldner started adjusting returning better very dangerous to the long sides with heavy underspin, really dangeorus. also taking more the initiative, and also getting safer in blocking the really hard and fast topspins of yan sen. not to forget his serves, his serves were getting better and better often using placement into yan's wide forehand. he found his rhythm and kind of stole the first set and that was so important as yan seemed also mentally broken after that. and waldner just continued playing like in the end of the first set for the rest of the game; he even played better and better and in the last set yan sen was being so demolished and waldner was even sometimes playing pretty defensive kind of show table tennis. waldner was not only technically surpreme in every aspect of the game, but he also had the mentality to stay calm and focused even in the most challenging situations. he also had the anticipation as well as the touch and could do magic anytime. and he was adjusting so well tactically. and his physique was also very stable and trained out - he had such quick footwork in his prime. also when you look at different areas of game, like service, return, first attack, ball control, actually waldner was the best in ALL these areas when playing at his best like here. that made him also the most variable player. the result of him being in that form was the world champion title - without losing even one set. it is also interesting that he was always so quiet. he was under critique that he wouldn't care, but must have been so hard working to reach the level of perfection. maybe that's also a part of his secret; that he wouldn't want it too much. if you look at stars like timo boll, who really had the talent, technique, etc., but he seemed to want it too much, and couldn't adjust to the pressure - playing actually his worst table tennis when it mattered most. waldner was kind of the opposite in that respect, he was not the most consistent throughout his career, but had an insane level at his peak ecactly when it mattered most. there is a waldner dvd collection containing 3h50min of his best table tennis throughout nearly his whole career from 1980 to 2005 which is pure art in my eyes. it is called: "Jan-Ove Waldner: A Table Tennis Virtuoso. Two decades of his mastery of the sport." enjoy!

[@Wally-H]

Waldner's short push returns of serve simply didn't work. He switched to top spin returns and then long pushes down into the forehand corner and it instantly changed the match around.

[@kangawallabi]

... sigh.. I was actually disappointed with the quality of play (comparison to today). With hidden serves or 3rd ball attack winning the clear majority of points, I'm glad they changed the rules to increase the ball size and requiring the service ball to be visible at all times.. The SF and finals these days are a much greater pleasure to watch.

[@jonasmansson4694]

The best table-tennis player ever!

[@videosmurf]

When Waldners cheeks got rosy the opponent was dead😂 fabulous focus and execution. The true master of the game.

[@somesinger1575]

The video quality in the 1960's was great!

[@davidvincent380]

Well for the 5 first minutes of the match, Yen Sen seems unplayable... and then... end of warmup for Waldner.

[@Wally-H]

Waldner started the match by pushing his serve returns short onto the leftie's forehand side and it just wasn't working as Yen was all over it with his second shot. Once Waldner started to mix top spin and long push returns he got a foothold and the rest is history. The master changed his tactics and that was that.

[@88keyboard]

20 years ago the gameplay is of different ethos Penhold 1. End the game quick with forehand strokes within the first three strokes 2. Footwork is close to the table 3. Agressive at all costs 4. Before Liu Guo Liang popularised RPB, the weakness of penhold backhand is been exploited always and all the time Gameplay: Read the spin and attack aggresively at all cost. Shakehand 1. Decisive serves with different ball and spin placements 2. Short backhand side for blocking and loop 3. Forehand loop only at the back of the table 4. Footwork placement is somewhat behind the table to maximised reaction time and freedom of movement 5. Ball placement to opponent backhand 6. Need momentum to buildup gameplay, longer rally is better Gameplay : Confuse the player with serves and hope the rally prolong In a different era, by purely of looping at current time, Waldner would have problem with Ma Long speed and placement. Then again, rubber technologies is vastly different and the ball is bigger in size now.

[@detskalldaltas133]

The legendary J-O The Worlds Best Champ!

[@benziblank2896]

Legend 🏓🏆

[@khalilsk485]

اللهم صل على محمد وآل محمد هذه المباراة كانت عام 1997م 🏓✋ تحياتي للجميع ✋🏓

[@marcoborrillo8097]

this was the game that Yan Sen never could recover from

[@Forza8423]

J O tack för alla glädjestunder du gett mig ❤️

[@thommyturtle209]

i thought until now, that waldners match against Teng Yi in New Delhi 1987 was his greatest (especially the third set).

[@totoaryo5873]

Jon Walder has not been replaced. I really like it from the beginning until now

[@mikelin7]

What the come back. And the video quality is superior than nowadays

[@ramthapa2514]

Yan sen is a truly great player but it's just about mental strength... The way waldner kept his cool is so amazing,,, when yan sen was in lead it hardly effected him... But when waldner was in lead.... Yan sen became so vulnerable he made all the worst shots

[@KA-eu9sy]

Well said. Especially with the beauty of the 21 points game. Really matter. I hate the 11 point system. Stupid.

[@mossan_cart]

一番好きな選手

[@jeffmorrison2915]

The 1997 World Table Tennis Championships were held in Manchester, England, from April 24 to May 5, 1997. In the men's singles event, Jan-Ove Waldner from Sweden made history by winning the championship without losing a single set throughout the entire competition. This remarkable achievement earned him the nickname "The Mozart of Table Tennis." In the final match, Waldner faced Vladimir Samsonov from Belarus and emerged victorious with a score of 3-0 (21-17, 21-14, 21-16). This was Waldner's second World Championship title in men's singles, having previously won in 1989. Another notable player in the 1997 World Championships was Yan Sen from China, who was the runner-up in the men's singles event, losing to Waldner in the semifinals with a score of 0-3 (17-21, 14-21, 16-21). This event highlighted Waldner's exceptional skill and dominance in the sport, cementing his status as one of the all-time greats in table tennis history.

[@nanangarsani2882]

Waldner the master block🏓

[@z0uLess]

The commentators were really good at highlighting the strategic element of the game.

[@user-fd2mi5tt4h]

Waldñer:- это высший класс.🎉

[@KA-eu9sy]

21 point games. Beauty of table tennis. Gone. Replaced by the ugliness of 11 point games. At one point, Waldner was down by 8 points. His mental toughness got him the win. Beauty.

[@patreimer7696]

The 11 points game favours the weaker player as it is easier to win a game. With a 21 points game, the stronger player will always find a way to come back from a deficit and win the game,

[@Abcdef12396]

Unbelievable tennis!

[@user-wz5jw5rb4r]

One of the greatest player of all time

[@jakobrosenberg4759]

If not the greatest... 😁

[@konichiwa4339]

28:58 ナイストラップ

[@juniorsaintlouis6088]

Waldner great legend I love his iq On the. Game great player 💪 ever

[@user-rq4bw3bt3w]

33:28 trolling 🤣face

[@mattneil6142]

when the video quality of a match from 1997 is better than a match in 2020

[@duskydelites7311]

J O WALDNER TRULY THE GOAT!!

[@Fontsman]

An early instance of RPB by Yan Sen. Waldner took a little time to figure out the opponents patterns. But after that, it was easy. Waldner at his very best in this tournament. Destroyed Samsonov in the final.

[@futures4397]

ı thought the joke would be video is 1080p 60fps

[@facundoblanco8807]

Genio ídolo. Hacia lo que el quería con el juego. Se le cagó de risa todo el tiempo. Lo manejó todo

[@eloimumford5247]

So much to learn from Jan-Ove , his style -tactic -acuity-calmness. I still prefer the old pointing ...11 is too short.

[@SLOVENEMUSIC]

Yes... where I am training, we sometimes actually still play the longer version - 5 serves, up to 21 points. :)

[@arm8636]

@@SLOVENEMUSIC oh man so actually points is a "real" way to count?thks for info

[@SLOVENEMUSIC]

@@arm8636 I am 100% sure if I understood your question. :)

[@arm8636]

@@SLOVENEMUSIC hahahah

[@phantn]

Maybe 15 point games. 21 is too long. 11 too short.

[@Nightscouts]

better lens and camera angles then today with wide look from above ...

[@khaledshinnawy5621]

JO Waldner is the real legend in table tennis game.

[@andrealbert2029]

He is the best. I love him.

[@rizalukman7982]

This match which make table tennis become a poppular sport in my country

[@orionbelt1663]

When 2 master fair play..no husa..cole..atc...very passion time..😊👍👏👏

[@N0rthGym]

JO ... the greatest ... always!

[@frederikvater]

Good one, ITTF.

[@tatapriatna4166]

I am like ..dalam bermain Table Tenis meja JO Waldner. Thenksyou.❤

[@pingpong2033]

Now I can appreciate more ITTF's decision to increase the size of the ball. Thanks to the larger ball size and slower ball speed in today's game we can now enjoy much better rallies, instead of boring returning serve errors. Nonetheless, I never tired of watching Waldner's play

[@ucanho7057]

welp, because of those changes, we almost can't see any chopper or penholder (J-pens are completely gone, and there are only a few C-pens left) anymore, and that's more boring than seeing those errors you say.

[@purpose6113]

@@ucanho7057 thats bc they changed the celluloid balls to plastic balls, not bc of the ball size

[@leonawroth2516]

Also forbidding to hide the ball when serving made a huge difference. It's ridiculous how every player hide the ball and you could only guess what spin was on it. Reading spin on the serve is already hard enough today, not seeing the contact is just evil and makes for boring serve - return error points.

[@TableTennisGalaxy]

Have any of you actually played with the 38mm cell, the 40mm cell, and the 40+ ABS? And have any of you played at the highest levels? The difference between how the 38mm cell and the 40mm cell play is ENORMOUS! I actually have to use a faster blade when playing with the 38mm cell ball. And even then, I never have to worry about missing long because that little ball gets down so nicely. The 38mm cell is especially tough to receive serves from because it doesn't bounce as high, it spins more RPMs, and it gets up and down the quickest of any ball. And the 40mm cell ball plays completely differently to the 38mm cell ball. When using the 40mm cell ball, I have to use the blade I normally use with the 40+ ABS ball. And I have to worry about missing long too. The 40mm cell ball plays just like the 40+ ABS ball, except the cell ball is noticeably faster and can be blocked back fast enough to win points. Plus, you have to be conscious of how the incoming spin is going to effect your shots. With the 40+ ABS, you have to counter-topspin the shots that you can just block with the 40mm cell. This is because the 40+ ABS is too slow to consistently win points with the block, and because it's even slower than you'd think due to the incoming spin not being as big of a factor as it is with the 40mm cell. This means that the ball is slower AND the incoming topspin doesn't cause your blocks to shoot off your rubber as hard. I've played with all 3 types of ball at the highest levels. The size makes a huge difference in the particular ways I have described, and the different materials make a little bit of a difference, as I have described. But, the size of the ball makes the biggest difference at the highest levels of play. I can't speak to how it is at the amateur levels though.

[@TableTennisGalaxy]

Btw, if you're an amateur, then you have no idea how little that hiding the service contact actually makes a difference versus not hiding the service contact. If you're an amateur, then I guarantee that I can let you see my serve the entire way and you'll still struggle to play it back competitively. I would have no reason to disguise my serves versus an amateur. But, a pro knows how to receive every serve there is. And I think it's extremely boring to take the serve and receive game completely out of the sport by not allowing the server to disguise their serves, and thereby making the receiver actually try to read what's coming as it's coming. The game is a lot more fun when you allow great servers to shine. What they've done to the game is remove all the things that give non-Chinese players the ability to level the playing field versus the Chinese. This is exactly why I say that Ma Long in his prime would have no chance against Waldner in his prime, if they played under 1997 rules. Waldner would be able to use his serves as a weapon, and he would be able to use his blocks as full-on attacking shots too. There would be nothing that Ma could do that would actually make Waldner have to be weary of, and adjust to. And there would be several things that Waldner could do that Ma would have no answer for. I can break it all down further, and I think that I may do so in a KZbin video. I'm sick of amateurs who just look at the numbers claiming that Ma Long is the greatest player ever. So, I think that I am going to have to break it down in-depth and show everyone that it's still Jan-Ove Waldner who is the greatest player of all-time.

[@salvosalva]

Incredible! How are they able to play that well without screaming every other second??

[@eloimumford5247]

grunting should be penalised in some way .

[@coole6825]

JOW is from Sweden, we don't scream...Never 😐😐

[@perandersson6366]

Mastering the serves....

[@toobalkain]

can't believe how packed the venue is, looks like table tennis could have been played in stadiums back then.

[@antuan_tt1809]

It would be perfect in short form. But anyway, thank you very much, the video has very good quality.

[@TauhidHaqiqi]

The best service

[@mulyacmschannel1743]

still watch in 2021

[@anindyapal5732]

A game of 21 is much enjoyable.

[@karimelzein9115]

nah

[@bleetblue]

Me- When will the quality become better?! ITTF- Happy April fools day

[@moralomark8858]

I cant believe that he was in the 2000s still on the top

[@totoaryo5873]

from the first until now I'm still amazed there Jon Walder

[@alberthuang4868]

but he never won any international tournaments from 1998 to his retirement

[@HawkOfGP]

@@alberthuang4868 Fair enough, but getting to 1 set away from winning an another olympic gold in 2000 was not a bad effort!

[@dickn.ormous1064]

@@alberthuang4868 Does 2000 World Team Table Tennis Championships ring a bell to you?

[@AndyK665]

Like a boss 28:54

[@alekseib.2574]

I will root for Waldner!

[@Max-hb7vm]

Still don’t know which "jan" they’re talking about

[@dhunist]

The BEST TT player of ALL TIMES. Ma Long is a decent player, no doubt, bt his (John-O-Waldner) class is totally different. He's a player from another planet. Take a bow, sir.. 🙏🙏

[@KA-eu9sy]

Ma Long's play is mechanical. Waldner's play is magical.

[@sumitbutola]

20 points game which I am still used to...😅 Expected to see much more of his block... Still an excellent match❤❤❤

[@niklastorshagen6365]

Waldner beats all the top chinese players with ease, and that means the best players in the world. But he usually have a hard time against any other countries players. It's a little weird And as a footnote, China have more active table tennis players than Swedens entire population

[@HansPeter-tg8bq]

GOAT

[@21centdregs]

im so grateful for the service rule change. having these games hinge upon the guessing game of serve receive is just goofy, im amazed it lasted so long

[@andyvasvari4874]

At my time by the 1960’s it was the Hungarian tabletennis world champion Jónyer. ( that was his public name). has handled the ball like Waldner .

[@TheMoonchild1969]

How can you coach a genius. 🌹

[@monkas6030]

That was a different game back then.

[@classicsidepart1477]

GREAT, GREAT match... but you can clearly see why 5 serves in a row was devastating back in the days.... that is such a huuuuuge advantage if the opponent can't return properly

[@Wally-H]

Especially when it was okay to hide the spin on your serve with you arm lol. Waldner was a master at that.

[@fallenreigngamingchannel]

@@Wally-H lol waldner was a savage for that 🤣🤣🤣

[@dmitripogosian5084]

Well, that goes both ways

[@girish325]

The atmosphere and the camera angle is way better than today's wtt events. Wtt is killing table tennis in a way

[@trevorgrindz5556]

Is there any way to get these old matches in HD? Like, even if we have to pay?