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Racket Insight is your go-to guide for the Olympic table tennis event, with an extensive Olympic Hub covering everything you could possibly need to know.

Our coverage wouldn’t be complete without keeping you up-to-date on the latest results and progress throughout the knockout stages of the 5 gold medal events.

This page covers all of the matches being played in the main stages of each event, including some pre-event commentary about the draw and who it’s favorable for. We’ll tackle each event in chronological order of their gold medal match, starting with the Mixed Doubles.

Mixed Doubles

Gold Medal Match: 30th July

Full Mixed Doubles event guide.

With just 16 mixed doubles pairings qualified for the Olympics, and just one Chinese pairing, this is objectively the ‘easiest’ gold medal opportunity out of the 5 events. Just win 4 matches and you’ll be crowned Olympic champions.

Of course, it’s not so simple in practice. Here’s the draw:

Most teams would want to be on the opposite side of the draw to the Chinese pairing of Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, albeit there is no such thing as an easy draw in this event. That points towards a strong showing from the Japanese pairing of Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata.

The Japanese team should comfortably make it into the Semi Finals, though could face one of the strong pairings from Hong Kong, Brazil, or Spain for a place in the Final.

Update: This prediction was incredibly wrong as the North Korean pairing of Ri Jong Sik / Kim Kum Yong dominated their opening match to beat the Japanese. A first-round loss is disappointing for the Gold medalists of 4 years ago. However, the DPRK pairing have become the major news stories from this Mixed Doubles competition, having a unique defensive/counter-attacking partnership. Teams are finding them difficult because there’s been little opportunity to learn about the two North Koreans before this Olympics as they rarely play international tournaments.

The best first-round match is happening on the top side of the draw, with the French and Taiwanese pairings both exceptionally strong (Update: The Taiwanese took this match, only to be overcome 4-2 by the Chinese). The prize for winning that match will be a chance to play against team China in the Quarter Finals. That’s about as tough as it can possibly get.

Women’s Singles

Gold Medal Match: 3rd August

Full Women’s Singles event guide.

The tough part of the Singles events is the straight knockout factor. Forget warming up into a group stage where you could afford to lose a match, this is pure knockout theatre where you can’t afford to put a foot wrong.

Giulia Takahashi (BRA) and Lynda Laghraibi (ALG) have drawn the short straws here, each facing one of the incredibly strong Chinese entrants. There’s an exceptionally high chance of Sun Yingsha and Chen Meng meeting each other in the final, and they won’t be in any mood to put that at risk.

The top half of the draw is probably slightly easier, although there are still some great first-round matchups. Christina Kallberg (SWE) vs Sreeja Akula (IND) is probably the highest in quality, and will definitely be worth watching. I think Hina Hayata has been fortunate with a very favorable draw to reach a semi-final matchup against Sun Yingsha.

In the bottom half, we start with an incredibly tough assignment for Australia’s WR #250 Melissa Tapper. Shin Yubin is an exceptionally strong competitor, so expect to see the Korean move through the first few rounds relatively comfortably.

Team GB’s 18-year old Anna Hursey also faces an extremely tough draw against the pimpled bat of Manika Batra (IND). Manika Batra is one of my dark horses for a medal, so it would be an incredible achievement for Anna to reach the Round of 32.

Lastly, keep an eye out for Monaco’s Xiaoxin Yang. No athlete from Monaco has ever won an Olympic medal, and Yang has a couple of winnable matches before coming up against China’s Chen Meng.

Men’s Singles

Gold Medal Match: 4th August

Full Men’s Singles event guide.

Whilst the two Chinese women’s entrants have very few question marks over their dominance, the same can’t be said on the men’s side. Yes, Wang Chuqin is the World #1, in imperious form, and the odds-on favourite. However, his compatriot Fan Zhendong has been showing weakness over the last 12 months that makes him feel beatable.

Can any of the men take advantage and earn themselves an Olympic Silver (or better, Gold?).

If we look at the draw through the lens that Fan Zhendong is beatable, it opens up opportunity for a few strong competitors on the lower side of the draw. Wong Chun Ting (HGK) could produce a seismic upset in the 2nd round, with the task only getting harder for Fan Zhendong from there.

The draw is very favorable for home favorite Felix Lebrun, who’s first serious test might come in the Round of 16 against Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov although he isn’t the same force as he was 4 years ago when he claimed bronze in this event. He beat Lin Yun-ju in that bronze medal match, with a rematch possible in the quarter finals this time around.

If anyone can produce a shock in the top half of the draw, it would be Jang Woojin (KOR) who’s first major test will come a few rounds in when he’s on a collision course with Japan’s exceptional talent Shunsuke Togami.

Men’s Team

Gold Medal Match: 9th August

Full Men’s Team event guide.

There’s probably a 98% chance that the Chinese team win this event. When you have the WR #1, #3, and #4 on your team, it’s a pretty straightforward competition. That’s without mentioning they selected a team without WR #2 Liang Jingkun.

The intrigue will be who can pick up the Silver and Bronze medals. Japan kickstart their tournament with a straightforward match against a weak Australian team before a likely fiery match-up against Chinese Taipei’s talented trio. Whoever wins that match is likely to take that coveted Silver medal.

Germany are the seeded team on the bottom quarter of the draw but are no longer the force of old. Dang Qiu is inconsistent, Dimitrij Ovtcharov is on a run of poor form, and the retiring Timo Boll is attending for a farewell tour. I prefer Sweden to scrape past Denmark and Germany to make the Semi-Finals, although that’s likely a contrarian opinion.

France have a very talented Men’s team featuring brothers Alexis and Felix Lebrun but they need to fight through a very tough draw to win a medal. A likely route of Slovenia, Brazil, then China, means their best hope is fighting their way into the Bronze medal match.

Women’s Team

Gold Medal Match: 9th August

Full Women’s Team event guide.

I can’t think of any other Olympic Gold medal that is so nailed on to any country. There’s every chance the Chinese women’s team win the entire tournament without dropping a game, never mind a match.

Out of curiosity, I checked the odds of a Chinese victory and they’re at 1.05 (-2000). That’s about accurate.

The two other teams to watch out for would be Japan and India, both of whom are in the bottom side of the draw. Expect them to meet each other in the Semi-Final as long as Germany can’t pull a shock result against an awkward and experienced Indian trio.

Chinese Taipei will be frustrated with a draw that sees them play against China in the Quarter Finals, likely ending their chances of a medal before the tournament even begins.

This is an event to sit and admire the strength of China’s team. If you’re looking out for an upset, watch the Mixed Doubles or Men’s Singles events instead.

David’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 12, earning his first coaching license in 2012. He’s played in national team & individual competitions, although he prefers the more relaxed nature of a local league match! After earning his umpiring qualification in England, David moved to Australia and started Racket Insight to share information about the sport he loves.

Blade: Stiga WRB Offensive Classic | Forehand: Calibra LT | Backhand: Xiom Musa
Playstyle: The All-Rounder

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AirBlades produce genuinely unique table tennis rackets. Gone are your traditional red and black rubbers, replaced by a dazzling white background with the AirBlades logo stamped on top.

Itâ€s a design thatâ€s bound to be polarizing.

Youâ€re probably here because you lean towards loving the design, but want to know if the racketâ€s performance matches its looks.

We bought the AirBlades 3.0 racket to review, testing it thoroughly for hours of both training and matchplay.

AIRBLADES 3.0 REVIEW SUMMARY

The Airblades 3.0 is a racket designed for social / casual players. The brash white design is an acquired taste, whilst the racketâ€s slopehandle shape is a unique gimmick that restricts players to using a shakehand grip.

With moderate spin and speed capabilities, this racket does provide plenty of control to help people enjoy longer rallies.

Thereâ€s no doubt the Airblades 3.0 is a good upgrade from the cheap bats that pervade garages / homes worldwide, however it would prove limited for anyone looking to take their table tennis game to the next level at tournaments.

Perfect for: Social players looking to upgrade from their cheap rackets, looking for something unique and fun.

Benefits

Great control when returning shots.

Unique design will grab attention from any opponent.

Reasonable ability to generate spin.

Slopehandle is great for anyone who struggle when playing for extended periods.

Comes with a hard racket case.

Drawbacks

Lack of top-end speed when playing aggressive shots.

Unable to generate large amounts of spin.

Ineligible for use in tournaments due to lack of ITTF Approval.

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Recommended Playstyles

We recommend the Airblades 3.0 to casual players without a clearly defined playing style:

Design of the Airblades 3

The AirBlades racket stands out amongst a sea of rackets that all look exactly the same. The rubberâ€s bright white coloring is a jarring differentiator that some people will love, whilst others will hate.

One of the laws of table tennis is that players arenâ€t allowed to wear white (or majority-white) colored clothing. The theory being that itâ€s hard to differentiate a white ball on a white background.

Thatâ€s why itâ€s odd to see a racket designed with white rubbers. Later in this article, Iâ€ll talk about whether the color impacts your opponent, but itâ€s important to know upfront that this racket isnâ€t ITTF certified.

That means you would be unable to play with the racket in any official tournaments / competitions.

Front image of the AirBlades 3.0 Racket

The blade is made of a simple 5-ply Ayous wood structure. This is a good structure for an all-round blade, with Ayous being one of the most common types found in table tennis rackets.

However, the blade is notable because it provides the Airbladeâ€s other main point of differentiation – the handle. Itâ€s shaped in a curved ‘ergonomic†design that is intended to fit your hand better. Theyâ€ve even patented it as the ‘slopehandle†design.

As a player who has grown up playing with flared handles, this is a hugely different feel. In the hand, it feels comfortable and rests nicely in your fingers.

View of the AirBlades ‘Slopehandle’

Whilst not a problem for me, some people have reported this handle isnâ€t suitable if you have larger hands. I can definitely see this being true, although I havenâ€t been able to find a large-handed person to test it out for me!

At just 172g, this is a lightweight racket. Just like the grip, this is great for any player who struggle with their hands getting tired during long playing sessions.s

The racket is delivered in a smartly designed, protective, hard case. Itâ€s easy to zip and unzip, with the racket fitting snugly inside. Thereâ€s no doubt it provides good protective cover when storing or transporting your racket.

Packaging that comes with the AirBlades racket

Storage case that comes with the AirBlades racket

However, I normally prefer racket cases that have space for multiple rackets, or balls, scorecards etc. Thatâ€s personal preference though, and you can check out our favorite table tennis racket cases for more options.

Specifications

• Weight:172g
• Speed: Not Provided
• Spin: Not Provided
• Control: Not Provided
• Handle:Slope
• Blade: 5-ply ayous wood
• ITTF Approved:No
• Sponge Thickness:2.1mm

Summary:A great improvement on your cheap basement rackets, with a unique design that stands out from the crowd.

Playtesting the Airblades 3.0

I must admit that my expectations were quite low at the start of our testing. The fact the Airblades 3.0 isnâ€t designed like a traditional racket made me skeptical of its performance.

I wanted to be proved wrong, but the Airblades 3.0 didnâ€t quite do enough to impress me.

The ‘Slopehandleâ€

Firstly, I want to talk about the handle. I believe itâ€s trying to solve a problem that doesnâ€t exist for a vast majority of players. Itâ€s meant to make holding the racket for long periods more comfortable, but discomfort isnâ€t a common problem to solve.

During our testing, I found the handle comfortable but I didnâ€t notice any significant differences to a normal flared or anatomic handle. Unless you suffer with grip difficulties, the handle wonâ€t provide you any noticeable benefits.

The handle also limits you to playing with a shakehand grip due to the shape, so this racket isnâ€t suitable for anyone using a penhold grip variation.

White Rubbers

I already spoke about the fact these rubbers mean the Airblades 3.0 is ineligible for ITTF events. If youâ€re hoping to compete in more serious competitions with the racket, youâ€ll find plenty of tournaments wonâ€t allow it.

Practically, the bright white rubber design has very little impact on the playing experience though. I didnâ€t have any issues tracking the ball playing against the Airblades racket.

The only design advantage is that you have the words ‘deadly accurate†printed in a place your opponent will see it mid-rally. Maybe that will give you a psychological advantage. Maybe not.

Now, letâ€s get into the playing experience.

Serving & Returning

I was able to generate a moderate amount of spin when serving, giving my opponent some trouble getting their returns on the table. Itâ€s definitely not a super tacky or grippy rubber, but you can definitely produce some good serves.

Returning serves felt easy with the Airblades 3.0 as the rubber reduced the impact of my opponentâ€s spin. I was able to comfortably push serves back consistently, although I struggled more when trying to play attacking returns.

This rubber is definitely an upgrade from traditional ‘basement†rackets without being too fast or spinny for a beginner to handle. This allows beginners to develop the right technique and feeling for high-spin serves.

Driving and Looping

I felt that looping was the area where the Airblades 3.0 performed weakest. Thereâ€s a lack of speed and feeling in the racket when playing more aggressive shots, which results in quite weak loops if youâ€re playing a few steps back from the table.

For more advanced players, this is normally described as a racket not having a lot of ‘gearsâ€. That means the power you generate is directly correlated with how much power is on your shot. So, to hit a winner you need to put a lot of power into your shot.

When playing a driving shot, the Airblades still feels slow but controlled. For a beginner, this can be useful as itâ€s hard to hit over the table. Similar to playing a loop, the racket demands that you help it out and put in more power than you might expect to get the ball over the net.

Blocking & Chopping

Probably my favorite part about this racket was how it behaves on more defensive shots where speed and spin are less important.

I found it easy to block attacking shots, with many of my returns dropping short on the table and forcing my opponent into playing a push/flick instead of another loop. Without an elastic effect to handle, I was able to comfortably position blocks anywhere on the table.

Whilst this isnâ€t a ‘defensive†racket (I would suggest long pips for anyone playing The Defender style), itâ€s very comfortable to play with when chopping. I wasnâ€t able to get a huge amount of spin on my chops, but they were travelling low over the net and proving difficult for my opponent to win points against.

Overall impressions of the Airblades 3.0

My personal opinion of the Airblades 3.0 was that the racket is more style over substance.

For anyone looking to buy the Airblades racket, there are two things you should be thinking about:

1. This racket is mainly suitable for beginners / garage players who want to level up from the terrible rackets you can buy at most general sports shops.

2. You will stand out playing with this racket, with a design that is bound to attract attention whenever you get it out of the case.

I was surprised by the amount of spin, and quality, that I was able to generate with this racket. Itâ€s certainly not a bad racket.

However, I do think there are better choices on the market for anyone whoâ€s looking to take table tennis more seriously and play competitive matches.

Check Latest Price on Amazon

Find out how much the AirBlades 3.0 costs on Amazon

Alternatives to buying an Airblades 3.0

Killerspin JET400

Our favorite beginners racket, with a great balance between control, spin, and power. Even intermediate players enjoys it.

Stiga Evolution

If youâ€re still learning to master basic techniques and want a racket with incredible control, consider the Stiga Evolution.

Palio Expert 3.0

A great racket for players who already know they want to play with an aggressive, attacking style.

David’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 12, earning his first coaching license in 2012. He’s played in national team & individual competitions, although he prefers the more relaxed nature of a local league match! After earning his umpiring qualification in England, David moved to Australia and started Racket Insight to share information about the sport he loves.

Blade: Stiga WRB Offensive Classic | Forehand: Calibra LT | Backhand: Xiom Musa
Playstyle: The All-Rounder

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