Tomorrow will see 13 players vying for eight spots at the 2020 ITTF Men's World Cup. Not to give undue credence to superstition, but this Friday the 13th will certainly spell bad luck for five of them. One of the contenders hoping to find favor from the nets and edges of fate is Kanak Jha. The 20-year-old carries excessive weight as the lone American in a prestigious international competition, simultaneously a sign of his sustained success and the yawning chasm that separates Jha from the field of American men. Jha, ranked 27th in the world, is seeded 15th at the World Cup in Weihai, China. In order to advance from the preliminary round, he must secure a top-two finish in his qualifying group. This means he must secure at least one win against the cagey veteranss with whom he is caged. In terms of experience, few active professionals can rival 39-year-old Chuang Chih-Yuan (pictured). The seasoned pro from Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) was ranked third in the world all the way back in 2003. In 2012, Chuang partnered with countryman Chen Chien-an to bring Taiwan its first ever world championship. Chuang now occupies the 30th spot in the world rankings, tenaciously holding his grip on the ladder as young guns like Kanak Jha steadily try to climb over him. Jha is surely not looking past a player of Chuang's stature. After all, the Taiwanese was competing internationally before Jha was born! Nor shall Jha expect any quarter from Liam Pitchford, the 27-year-old English champion ranked 15th in the world. Pitchford made waves two years ago with a stunning upset of reigning Olympic and World Champion Ma Long of China. His consistent excellence has proven it was no fluke, however, as Pitchford has cemented himself among the best players in the world. Of course, world ranking is just a number, a truism equally applicable to age. Once the ball is in play, these veterans of various vintages will be focused only on the point at hand. Of course, luck is always a factor, one which can be decisive in games to 11 with little margin for error. For the 13 players playing on Friday the 13th, which will be lucky enough to still be playing Saturday?

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