This match absolutely shook the table tennis world. In a best of 5 match, Miu Hirano, down 0-2, came back to win 3 straight games to beat Chinese Legend Ding Ning. This match propelled Hirano to win the entire tournament, beating 2 more Chinese players along the way. How did she do it?
Hirano’s Speed Overwhelmed Ding Ning
Hirano’s speed was unmatched from Game 3 on. The consistency and pace of her shots had increased from the first two games as she found her rhythm.
Women’s table tennis is known for these quick rallies. Ding Ning, however, is an exception. In my opinion, Ding Ning’s largest strength is her spin variation. Her ability to slow the pace down and apply spin is something that Miu struggles with in games 1 and 2. However, Hirano began to find her timing as she adjusted to Ding Ning’s slower pace. There is a clear difference in the quality of Hirano’s shots in the latter 3 games than in the first 2 due to this adjustment. When Hirano hits her shots, it’s incredibly difficult for the longer strokes of Ding Ning to stop them.
Ding Ning should have noticed this was happening and adjusted as well. Ding Ning has the ability to play quickly if she wants to. I wanted to see more inside out forehand, parallel forehands, shots that forced Hirano deep into her forehand corner. Sadly, Ding Ning was not able to respond to Hirano’s speed adjustment.
Hirano Targeted Ding Ning’s Forehand
In games 1 and 2, Hirano often played the safe shot by playing her forehand into Ding’s backhand. There is nothing difficult about this shot for Ding Ning. From there, Ding Ning always had control of the pace and placement of the ball, which stopped Hirano from playing aggressively.
From game 3 onward, Hirano abused Ding Ning’s wide forehand, something I wished Ding did to Hirano in return! Hirano’s active attacking to the forehand put Ding Ning into reaction mode. Ding could not dictate the play as she was struggling to put the ball back onto the table. This in turn allowed Hirano to completely capitalize on these weaker shots and put them away through her sheer speed.
What Could Ding Have Done?
Ding should have altered her play after game 3. Ding Ning never once tried to adjust to Hirano’s game. She could have tried to quicken the pace or slow the pace down to disturb Hirano’s rhythm.
Hirano is purely a rhythmic player. This means that Hirano has a certain tempo in which she plays. The way to beat this type of player is to disturb their rhythm. Any ball that’s slower to faster than their preference will lead to unforced mistakes. Ding should know this better than anyone, as her style normally nullifies the typical rhythmic player. However, Hirano’s adjustment simply left Ding clueless on how to proceed.
Final Thoughts
This match was the first and only time Hirano has beaten Ding. In later matches, Ding was able to contain the speed of Hirano by anticipating the wide forehand and slowing the pace down considerably. Overall, I think it was a matter of adjustment for Ding, while Hirano and her team will go back to the drawing board, trying to find a way to beat Ding Ning.
There may be an answer already though: Mima Ito.