[What Does London Tell Us?] Was It That Monster Rubber That Gave Taipei Its Power? Vol. 2

〘Turbulence〙 The intriguing relationship between powerhouse men’s teams and their equipment. Was it that monster rubber that gave Taipei its power?

　One of the players who stood out at the London event was KUO Guan-Hong of Chinese Taipei. The 17-year-old left-hander showed outstanding ball sense in his blocks and Counter topspin. His talent had already been attracting attention for some time.

　KUO Guan-Hong defeated Patrick FRANZISKA in Stage 1A against Germany, then delivered a priceless win by beating Anton KALLBERG in the second match of the Quarter-final against Sweden, helping Chinese Taipei secure a medal alongside ace LIN Yun-Ju.

Although KUO Guan-Hong is nearly 180 cm tall, he was slender and gave the impression of lacking power. But in this tournament, he occasionally unleashed eye-opening Power shots. He currently uses ZYRE 03 on both sides (BUTTERFLY). He has gradually been adding muscle, but there is no doubt that the equipment change helped increase his shot power.　　

　For Chinese Taipei, LIN Yun-Ju also switched the forehand side to ZYRE 03 and unleashed one fierce Counter topspin after another. In the world of inverted rubbers, equipment continues to evolve nonstop, and even the most advanced products can become outdated in ten years. Might it have been the latest monster rubber that rescued Chinese Taipei, which had seemed a little short on overall strength for a medal run?

　Looking at the other three teams that reached the men’s team semifinals, their equipment choices are also quite interesting.

　China sometimes uses overseas manufacturers’ products for the racket or backhand rubber, but on the forehand side it always uses tacky Chinese-made rubber. Japan’s five men’s national team members are all contracted players of BUTTERFLY. Both teams are fighting on the world stage with equipment from domestic manufacturers.

　Meanwhile, France’s Lebrun brothers are with TIBHAR, COTON with DONIC, and GAUZY and Thibault PORET with andro, all under contract with German manufacturers. It almost speaks to a clever “division of roles” between France’s unique, creative play and Germany’s down-to-earth, solid craftsmanship.

　On the other hand, the “original” Germany has Dang QIU, Patrick FRANZISKA, and Dimitrij. OVTCHAROV all as BUTTERFLY contracted players, and among the main players, only Benedikt DUDA, who is contracted with VICTAS, uses German rubber. It is a little lonely, but perhaps this too should be called German rationality…….