Tips for table tennis tournaments

Well done!  Are you happy with the way you played?

Very! I lost one match only in the group stage, against a player who I've yet to win a set against anyway. With just a little more luck or skill, I would have won that one 3-1, though. 3 of 4 sets were really close, and I had maany attacks that just barely missed the edge of the table or just barely went into the net. In the playoffs, though, we both lost our semis, and I ended up third because the guy who knocked me out won the final. 

My semifinal was probably the most exciting game I've played so far, and apparently the audience enjoyed it as well. I felt pretty confident going into it, since my opponent was a rather passive player and I had just beaten a chopper in my quarter final. Unfortunately, though, my topspin against backspin didn't work as well this game, so I lost the first one 4-11. I struggled on in the second set and things did start to look up a bit, seeing as my score was twice as good: 8-11. Before the third set however me and my self-appointed coach decided to take a less aggressive approach since apparently I didn't have the strength yet to win playing my normal game.

My opponent basically had the strengths: reading serves well (but never attacking them), consistent pushing and blocking, and a very nice flat backhand over the table. So basically I just kept pushing with him, trying to elicit a nospin, preferably high ball to hit a winner off. Quite often i also won such consistency rallies by serving really heavy backspin, and then make a deep fat nospin push off his heavy push return. He didn't seem to read the spin nearly as well in rallies as when receiving.

I also noticed that I could get away with high balls to his forehand and that he simply could not hit through me with his backhand except off a high ball. He only made slow spinny loops/lifts off backspin with his backhand, which I could easily block back low, after which he'd often get confused by the topspin coming at him and push it high or long, or try to hit it flat even though it was too low for it.

Anyway, I won the third set 11-9, then the next set went on pretty much the same way and I won they 18-16. 

Finally the last game, I couldn't quite keep it up, and maybe I played a bit too offensively again, so I lost that one 6-11.

My last game of the group stage was pretty funny too. My opponent, who was by no means a beginner, couldn't read my Zhang Jike style pendulum/reverse variations at all. I had to explain it to him afterwards and he just hadn't had any idea that I mostly hit the ball during the follow through in the opposite direction. His stare in disbelief when one receive flew two metres off the table to the right and the next one straight into the net to the left even though my serve was "the same" was priceless (i mostly served fast side/top since he was only trying to return passively anyway, as to maximize the impact of the sidespin on his paddle) he actually asked me "should I close my paddle or not?? Omg I don't get it...". Afterwards I explained it and he made me write "reverse pendulum" and "Zhang Jike" down for him so he could check it out on YouTube. I'm willing to bet he will end up finding PingSkills pretty soon!

Ah, classic Johan.  Well done... and hopefully another reader on here.

Alois,so is it bad when I am often unable to sleep more than 6 hours?
Many times,I sleep only about 2-4hours before the tournament,Most of the night I just lie fully awake and unable to relax.

They say one night's bad sleep is OK, but is it is more than that it will be difficult to play.

Then it could be a reason too :D
I have never slept more than 7 hours in a row since I was five

o.O How are you even alive, DK??

Why shouldn't I be alive? o.O

Beat the guy who knocked me out 3-1 yesterday. Felt good :)

Nice one Johan!