Get the popcorn in as there’s some epic sports action in store!

NBA

Calling all you b-ball fans out there! Get ready to rejoice as the long wait is finally over with the NBA making its triumphant return to our screens! With more thrilling matches than you can shake a stick at in store between now and next June, you can bet your bottom dollar that this season is going to be one hell of a rollercoaster ride with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Speaking of gripping encounters, of the plethora of epic encounters we’ve got to choose from this weekend, perhaps the most exciting is the LA showdown between the Clippers and the Lakers. 

Chances are that if you’d said the Clippers would be going into a crunch clash with their fierce local rivals just a few years ago, you’d have been laughed out of the room. However, it’s Tyronn Lue’s men who are the favourites heading into this match, with many of the experts tipping them to make a huge impact in the Western conference this season. 

With an enviable array of talent to pick from such as Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, who’s finally back from a long injury lay-off that saw him miss some of the 2021 play-offs and all of last season, as well as new addition John Wall, they undoubtedly have the talent to challenge for the title this season (as long as they can keep everyone fit, of course) and will no doubt see their upcoming clash with the Lakers as the perfect opportunity to start their season with a bang.

Although The Lakers can also count on the services of their very own megastars, most notably LeBron James and Anthony Davis, there’s arguably never been a better time for The Clippers to face them as they’ve been in pretty abject form as of late. Darvin Ham’s boys have racked up 5 losses on the bounce in pre-season and were on the wrong end of a 133-86 loss to Sacramento Kings in their last outing. 

What’s more, they could potentially be going into this match on the back of 6 consecutive defeats as they face reigning champions, Golden State Warriors in their season opener in the early hours of Wednesday morning, which is bound to take its toll on The Lakers.

Meanwhile over in the Eastern Conference, all eyes will be on what many are tipping to be a three-way tussle for supremacy between Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. The wounds from last seasons’ NBA finals loss will still be fresh for The Celtics and they’ll be looking to hit the ground running this season, although they face a stern test in their season opener against Philadelphia 76ers. 

Milwaukee Bucks will arguably have a much easier ride on Sunday against Houston Rockets, and with the likes of two-time Kia MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday in their ranks, they have every chance of going the distance and winning the title for the 2nd time in the space of 3 years. That being said, they haven’t exactly been firing on all cylinders in pre-season, after 4 back-to-back losses and need to find another gear quickly if they are to make a solid start to the season.

By contrast, Brookly Nets will be in high spirits heading into Thursday’s match against the New Orleans Pelicans after finishing their pre-season with consecutive wins. With the uncertainty surrounding Kevin Durant’s trade request now behind them, The Nets will be hoping that this is the year the link-up between Durant and Kyrie Irving finally pays off on a consistent basis as they seek to stake their claim for the title. 

Will such a tantalising prospect lead them to the promise land? Only time will tell. However, one thing’s for certain, we’re in for an absolute belter of a season.

WTT Champions Macao 2022

The WTT Champions Macao 2022 tournament is almost here! 

Taking place between 19th and 23rd October in Macao, China, the premier WTT Series event will have USD $800,000 prize money on offer as well as 1000 World Ranking points awarded to the winners. So, plenty to play for!

The top 30 best players in the world in the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles will be battling it out this time, so we’ll witness some of the greatest table tennis the world has to offer. But who will be victorious?

In the Men’s Singles, all eyes will be on the Japanese phenomenon Tomokazu Harimoto. He captivated fans with a breathtaking run to the Men’s Singles title at the first-ever WTT Champions event held in July, fighting back from three games down and saving six championship points in a dramatic final. Also, at the 2022 ITTF World Team Championships Finals that ended this month, Harimoto managed to beat the World Number #1 Fan Zhendong, a win that sent shudders through fans and players across the world! Before then, Fan Zhendong had not lost a match since November 2020! One of the greatest victories we have witnessed. Buoyed by his stunning return to form, can anyone stop the 19-year-old Japanese ace in Macao? 

Hoping to get revenge on Harimoto, world champion Fan Zhendong will be making his WTT Champions debut in Macao. World No.1 Fan holds a whopping 3200-point lead at the summit of the World Rankings due to his unbelievable form over the last couple of years, justifying his World No.1 ranking. But will he be victorious this time?

Another key challenger for the title in Macao is Ma Long, the most successful player in the history of the sport, and widely considered the greatest player of all time. However, he has failed to lift the title at the last 3 major events he’s played at. Can he use his wealth of experience to lift the trophy this time? Or will the younger competition prove too difficult for him once again? 

In the Women’s Singles, Chinese World No.3 Wang Manyu is hungry for victory. The superstar overcame a knee injury in the latter stages of the WTT Champions European Summer Series in July to land the Women’s Singles title, showing her class in the face of extreme adversary. Three months on, the question on everyone’s lips is: can she do it again? 

Wang is in world-class company at the top-end of the entry list with top seed Sun Yingsha and Olympic champion and World No.2 Chen Meng ready to light up the arena in Macao. Sun is going for her first individual success of the year with her last Women’s Singles title coming at the 2021 WTT Cup Finals. Chen on the other hand already has silverware to her name in 2022 following a commanding display at the Singapore Smash, beating Wang Manyu to the title on that occasion. But who will be victorious?

The top 30 players in the Women’s Singles boasts a huge amount of quality, and among these is Puerto Rican playmaker Adriana Diaz, can she cause a stir in Macao? Elsewhere, keep an eye out for Egypt’s Hana Goda, who makes her second WTT Champions appearance aged just 14! 

Who will lift the trophy in Macao? It’s so hard to call, but with the best players in the world taking centre stage, for table tennis fans all over the world it’s going to be an action-packed thrill ride watching it all unfold!