Li Xiaoxia

Hi Alois,

Have you ever watched Li Xiaoxia before? She just retired a few months ago. I have seen a number of her matches, and she plays like a machine! She seems to be so quick and have such control over the ball. I have seen countless times where her opponent fires a clear winner, Li returns it with ease, and then hits a shot twice as good as that ''winner'' to win the point. 

It seems that she plays the typical womens' style of table tennis (quick punches and flicks) but always seemed a few levels higher than most of the players she played against. What made her so much better than everyone? And as an Olympic Coach yourself, do you think there is anything that a penholder such as myself can learn from her? 

Sorry for the long question by the way. Just one more thought. 

I heard you say in the past that the top 200 or so men could probably beat Liu Shiwen. Do you think Li Xiaoxia is any different? She stands 1.74 meters, which is taller than a lot of male players! And if you went into a match vs Li Xiaoxia, what would your strategy be knowing that she is so quick and makes so few mistakes? Just curious what your assessment on this topic would be.

And as always, Thank you. It's always fun to talk TT with someone with so much knowledge on this sport, such as yourself. 

From,

Devin

Hi Devin,

She is an exceptional player.  She was fast and was able to counter quickly when close to the table.

There are a lot of similarities between shakehand and penhold.  You can watch her position at the table and her body position in general.  Then also watch the direction of her bat, especially when she is playing her forehand.

If I played her I would firstly ask for a few points head start and for her to slow down a little...

I think slowing down the ball and variation of speed and spin would be the best tactic for others playing her.