Career Second Wind for China Open Final

It proved to be a second wind for two Chinese players who have been counted out of the spotlight in recent times as they moved into the final of the China Harmony Open for 2012. Xu Xin was the hot favourite for the tournament with stiff competition from experienced teammate Ma Lin, however neither of them will be present in the final of the competition. Fang Bo made a surprise appearance but suffered exit at the hands of recent Olympic Bronze medallist Dimitrij Ovtcharov in 7 sets. Ovtcharov was dispatched 4-1 by the favourite, Xu Xin in the quarterfinals. Chen Qi was also a player nowhere to be seen after being taken out by Japan's Asuka Machi in the round of 16. Also to disappear in the round of 16 was 3rd seed Timo Boll who was eliminated by Hao Shuai. Hao Shuai is the player making all the noise in the competition.

Hao Shuai is on a roll at the 2012 China Harmony Open
Image from ITTF

Hao Shuai has performed 3 winning results in a row, first against Timo Boll, against Vladimir Samsonov in the quarterfinals and then against tournament favourite Xu Xin in the semifinals in 6 sets. The fringe player in the Chinese National Team has represented China in a few international events, but is not as significant as the other major players. He did perform exceptionally in the national trials for the WTTC in 2011 and was in the EuroAsia Cup this year as the Chinese representative.

The player he will meet in the final is none other than Wang Liqin, the three time World Championships winner took his semifinal victory over Ma Lin in the 7th set a surprising 11-3. This sets up for an almost wild card final scenario, although it is impossible to say that neither player has the skill to have made it to that stage. The real question now is which of the two players will take the title, you have to think that Hao Shuai might just have the upper hand. This would be his 4th Pro Tour win and his second in China, he won the China Open in 2008 in Shanghai. Watch this space!

Post-Olympic Interview with Vladimir Samsonov

Once again I had the distinct pleasure of sending off an interview to Vladimir Samsonov after the Olympic Games to see how he felt about the games and his performance there. I tailored in some more specific questions to get a bit more detail on his campaign in London. Thanks again Vladi for continuing to support my blog! :)

How happy were you with your Olympics Campaign overall?

I guess that I sound a bit negative, but I always wanted to win a medal. Hard to imagine that I could do that in 4 years.

You had quite a tight match with William Henzell, what were your thoughts going into the match?

William is a tough opponent. I also watched his match against Monteiro the day before. I knew that his backhand is very dangerous. Of course, I tried to prepare as good as possible.

How did those initial thoughts change during the course of the match?

Both of us had a chance to win every set. I tried to play more to his middle and forehand, tried to find a weak spot in his game. I am not sure whether I succeeded in that. Eventually I just wanted to win the next point.

6-2 down in the 7^th is that one of your best time-outs ever? 8 points in a row at the most crucial point in time and at the Olympics!

I think it was 3-5. I do not know what happened after the side change. I think it is just a coincidence, definitely not change of tactics.

How did the match with William prepare you for your next match against Zhang Jike?

Usually, after a such a difficult match you are more relaxed, more confident. I wanted to win very much, but was more exited than nervous, on the contrary, Zhang had a lot of pressure.

You had a 7 set match with the World Number 1, what does that mean for you?

It was one of the best matches I played in a long time, still, after I was out of the competition.

Where do you think chances were lost in that match which could have changed the result?

I easily won the first set and needed a good start in the second; then in the beginning of the sixth set, in the few points I risked too much; also, in the last set, in the 2 long rallies I had to play long line instead of his forehand.

What are your plans now that the Olympics are over?

I am already in Suzhou playing China Open. Whole September is full with competitions.

What was the first thing you said to William after your match against him?

I do not remember, probably, that it was a good match and that I was luckier.

Other Questions:

What was your highlight of being in London?

Winning against William.

Did you attend the opening and closing ceremonies? How were they?

No. I went to the opening in 1996, it takes to much time and energy. Competition comes first.

What was your favourite thing to eat whilst in London competing?

There was too much of everything. I guess miso soup.

Who was your favourite athlete to watch during the games?

Basketball final. (on tv)

Thanks Vladi! :)

Selection Restricts World's Best Player

Once again Ma Long has been shafted out of the ITTF Leibherr Mens World Cup event. This marks an important idea and question. Should Zhang Jike really hold a grand slam? Zhang Jike sits in the World Number 1 spot but in my opinion is most definitely not the best player in the world, that seat lies with Ma Long.

Zhang Jike made history when he claimed the coveted Grand Slam and held it simultaneously, the first player of the 4 holders ever to do so. The other three players are true greats of the sport, Jan Ove Waldner, Liu Guoliang and Kong Linghui. Zhang Jike a victor at only 3 Pro Tour Events and one time winner of the Asia Cup aside from his three major titles: The Olympic Gold Medal, The WTTC and the World Cup title.

Who is the world's best really?
Image from Table Tennis Daily

Ma Long has won 13 Pro Tour titles and the Pro Tour Grand Finals on 3 occasions, he also won the World Junior Championships in 2004 and a spree of Asian Continental titles including the Asia Cup 3 times, Asian Championships twice and the Asian Games on one occasion. He was unbeaten over a 40 match period in late 2011.

Ma Long holds a 90.5% win ratio over the past 4 year period and has defeated Zhang Jike on 7 out of 8 occasions, this compares to Zhang Jike's 84.8% win ratio. Not to mention the fact that Ma Long hold a win ratio of 50% or above against all of his opponents, Jike on the other hand holds opponents who have beaten him in all of their meetings, the likes of Hao Shuai (2), Ko Lai Chak (2) and Tomas Konecny (1).

Selection has left Ma Long out in the cold while Zhang Jike basks in the glory of his grand slam, a grand slam which Ma Long could have potentially laid his hands on if he'd had the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Singles and the World Cup. A shame for arguably the best player in the world.

Feng Tianwei's Karting Thrill

Singapore's table tennis star Feng Tianwei who won 2 bronze medals at the recent Olympic Games took timeout to try something a little different, go-karting. Tianwei who says she loves the thrill and speed of karting will actually be participating in the KF1 Karting Championships as part of a Singapore team made up of a pro driver with other sporting athletes, something she seems to be looking forward to quite a bit!

She has assured fans that despite the stint there is no plan to leave table tennis just yet!

Post-Olympic Goals

As you know I made a bigger effort over the course of the Olympics to bring you the news in table tennis. Now I'm setting my sights on some easily measurable goals for my blog.

100,000 views for the blog and 1 million views for my youtube channel. To do that I need ideas and some input from my readers as to what I can do to spread the word and to add more value to my blog for those reading. Please feel free to join me on Facebook or Twitter and make those suggestions!

You can also subscribe to my Youtube Channel blackpool0rock0child where I try and make more original video compilations for you to enjoy like my latest one below!

Help me spread my blog! Share your favourite articles and videos with friends across social media or forums!

Thanks for all your support so far!
Matt Hetherington

Timo Boll Avenges Losses in London

Timo Boll has sought revenge for his elimination in the mens singles event in London at the hands of Adrian Crisan and also his recent loss in the early team's round to Jorgen Persson of Sweden. Boll who caused disappointment for many of his fans after not proceeding past the round of 16 was looking for a way to show he was still in the game.

Timo Boll's turnaround vs. China

Jorgen Persson had scored a fantastic win in what will be his final Olympics, a 3-1 win over Timo Boll. It seemed Boll was down and out and Ovtcharov would be soon overtaking him as Europe's best. Boll had other ideas, in the teams match against China he levelled his target at the Olympic Champion Zhang Jike and took a shot.

The match was a true battle, we had seen at the recent WTTC that these two were capable of having a close match and that Timo had a chance, but in his current form what would his limit be? All of the sets were 11-8 and 11-9, the match was close, but it was surprisingly Timo Boll that created the winning edge. He claimed a 3-1 win over the newly created Olympic Champion and left the crowd and viewers all over the world on their feet. A real win in the long battle to bring China back down to earth in the sport of table tennis!

Jike Claims Grand Slam in Thrilling Final

The Olympic Final, two Chinese players, two players competing for the final piece to complete their grand slam. Wang Hao a 2 time Olympic finalist seeking out a dream to win gold in London, Zhang Jike the hotshot powerhouse, current world champion and world number 1. The match was set to be one of amazing quality as both players gave it their absolute all.

The start went very much in Zhang Jike's favour, he powered ahead to claim quite an extensive lead in the first set, only to have it clawed away at by Wang Hao. It went to deuce and still at 14-14 there was no outcome. A flick error left Zhang Jike wishing he'd closed the first set off earlier but Wang Hao couldn't convert, 15-15. Wang Hao had another opportunity and failed, it was 16-16. Zhang Jike went up a point, could he convert it to the set he so thoroughly deserved in the start? He called a timeout, a surprising move for the world number 1. Clearly getting ahead was first on his agenda, he did just that with an excellent service receive to the forehand side just out of reach as Wang Hao flew round the corner expecting a pivot forehand opportunity.

Zhang Jike claims Gold and the coveted Grand Slam

Taking no such risks in the second set Zhang Jike was off again leaving no margin for error. Claiming point after point and utilising his marvelous reverse serve to open up 3rd ball attack opportunities, it was Zhang Jike who took a 2-0 lead in the match. Speedy backhand to backhand rallying seemed to be the common theme of the match so far and Jike had, as usual, made great use of his backhand flick off Wang Hao's serves. Zhang Jike on the other hand was targetting Wang Hao's weaker forehand flick which presented simpler opportunities for him to attack the receive. Long fast serves came into play on occasion and the rallies which followed were of equal speed, amazing table tennis. The looping game was opening up from the World Champion but Wang Hao was clinging on tight in the 3rd set, but again it was Jike who broke away after the halfway mark and ploughed his way to an 11-6 win and a 3-0 lead.

Wang Hao's chances of Olympic gold were fading and it was probably looking all too familiar for the 2nd seeded player. Would it be another silver to the collection? At this stage it looked as though Zhang Jike was unstoppable in this final. Again in the 4th Zhang Jike set off at flying pace. Wang Hao called a timeout to try and halt his opponents rush of momentum, it appeared successful, Wang Hao was able to cling on with the score drawn at 8-8 towards the end of the set. The set hit deuce again, Wang Hao throwing away a set point with an unreliable forehand flick but converting his 2nd game point to bring it back to 3-1.

Wang Hao took a massive 5-0 lead in the 5th set but Zhang Jike demonstrated his superb control and came back to trail by one point at 5-6. A vicious forehand flick at 6-7 levelled the score at 7-7. An edgeball sparked controversy as both the umpire and Wang Hao rejected the appeal of Zhang Jike, he kept his composure to stay in the game trailing 9-8 and then drew it even at 9-9. Full length it would be but there was no stopping the Chinese superstar Zhang Jike. Another silver medal for Wang Hao to live with, a grand slam for Zhang Jike becoming the only athlete ever to hold the World Championships, World Cup and Olympic Mens Singles titles simultaneously!

Europe Takes a Medal!

The intensity of the Bronze Medal match in the Olympic mens singles table tennis was second to none so far this competition and the capacity crowd in London's Excel Arena wouldn't have agreed any more. The matchup of two players so close on the World Rankings, assured to be a great one. Chuang Chih-Yuan of Chinese Taipei would play Germany's Dimitrij Ovtcharov. Off course Ovtcharov had the benefit of Jorg Rosskopf on the bench, a former Olympic Bronze Medallist himself.

Ovtcharov takes a Bronze Medal in London 2012
Image from ITTF

The match was wide open from the word go, but it was Ovtcharov who swooped in first to claim the lead after a bizarre set, Chuang leading 5-0, Ovtcharov coming back to 5-5 then losing 2 to go down 5-7 before taking the lead again, Ovtcharov was experiencing runs in form. 12-10 was the margin and it was a close one at that. The next set Chuang looked to fire back hard but when he got to the final stages of the set he suffered a momentum shift and Dima came back, Chuang held on to win the set. He took the next in much the same manner to take a 2-1 lead. Ovtcharov was nowhere near down and out though.

The sets remained close, 13-11 the next with Ovtcharov winning to draw the match up at 2-2, the crowd lifting the European player. At 2-2 it was clear that the players would have to lift their game to the extreme and they did just that, the 5th set was an incredible feat of table tennis, the rallies grew longer and more exciting and both players gave it everything. It was Ovtcharov who took away the set, playing far superior in the loop to loop rallies than his opponent, a huge difference incurred.

The 6th set again showed class table tennis. Chuang appeared to have things in order and held a handsome lead at 7-2 but Ovtcharov hit a run yet again and came hurtling back to deuce. It came down to the very end and 14-12 was the score, the pressure unimaginable but it was Dimitrij Ovtcharov who avenged teammate Timo Boll and claimed a medal for the fans of Europe. A fantastic match, entertaining and wholesome and a great performance for the young German star!

Third Time Lucky?

Wang Hao has eased his way into his 3rd ever Olympic Final, in 2004 Athens it was defeat at the hands of Ryu Seung Min, in 2008 Beijing it was teammate Ma Lin who defeated the dreams of Wang Hao. This time it will be Zhang Jike who Wang Hao will face, the player who defeated him in the finals of both the World Championships and the World Cup in 2011. Will it be third time lucky?

Overcoming Chuang Chih-Yuan seemed to be clockwork for Wang Hao, the fast paced Chinese Taipei player was gutsy enough in the first set to take it by the finest of margins but after that it was Wang Hao making all the moves. The amazing control and speed of his reverse pengrip backhand simply incredible and second to none. Chuang was simply outclassed in the match, Wang Hao making all the big attacks and claiming points off searing counterloops.

Will we be seeing this again in London?
Image from Xinhua.net

So for Wang Hao he surges into the final with confidence, his third chance to finally take a gold medal at the Olympic Games and complete his ultimate goal, a goal which Zhang Jike also hopes to achieve but for Jike it will mean holding all 3 of the grand slam titles simultaneous, an enormous achievement. Whichever player wins we are in for one hell of a match in the final. Hold tight!

Top Seed Cruises in Olympic Final

Top seed Zhang Jike, world number 1 and world champion was the first player to make his way into the Olympic mens singles final in London. Facing a determined Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Europe's final hope to combat against China, it was Zhang Jike who had everything to lose in the first of the semifinal matches.

Zhang Jike shoots into the Olympic Final
Image from supersport.com

Ovtcharov who had narrowly escaped defeat at the hands of Denmark's Michael Maze in the previous round has never beaten the world number 1 before, this final would be no different. Starting strong it was Jike who claimed the first two sets with comfortable margins, the allround game and consistent attacking on both wings was enough to leave Ovtcharov with dwaning confidence.

Ovtcharov had not given up though, the German with his trademark serves, noted by Time Magazine as one of the top 50 world's greatest innovators, came back firing in the next set which he stole away 11-5, a huge confidence booster and a pathway to compete for the match and a place in the final. Having won the set it was clear that Ovtcharov believed he had a chance to come back in the match, the next two sets were nailbiters.

Both sets fell by close margins 11-8 and 11-9, but it was the reliable Chinese player with a dream to claim a grand slam which whisked them away. A world champion and world cup winner, current world number one and potentially soon to be an olympic champion, Zhang Jike is holding his head high for the greatest of success. His opponent will be determined in the second semifinal.

Road to Gold Paved with Emotions

In what is being described as the most controversial Olympic table tennis final ever, the battle between Li Xiaoxia and Ding Ning of China was strung with emotion. A hard fought 5 set battle led Li Xiaoxia to claim the gold medal, after earning the nickname 'Miss Number 2', one she fought hard today to have discarded.

Li Xiaoxia takes the Gold Medal

The controversy arose from seemingly poor umpiring, never seen before to this degree in a major final. Ding Ning fault served in the first, second and fourth sets for serves which appeared to adhere to commonly accepted table tennis service rules. The question asked by the World Number 1 as to why the serves were being faulted earned her a red card and the turmoil began. Li Xiaoxia had battled hard to earn the first two sets and Ding Ning the third, the match had been tight, fast rallies and despite the fault services in 2 sets, the outcomes were a relatively fair reflection of Li X.X's efforts to win in the final.

The third set went the way of Ding Ning, nobody had ruled her out of the match, it was so close and she had come back strong in the first two sets but missed the mark by small margins. The red card in the 4th set, awarded unjustly to a player genuinely questioning the reasoning for her faults was emotionally crippling for Ding Ning, she didn't recover for the match. Her mental game in pieces and with Li Xiaoxia still battling hard for gold, despite seeing the despair of her teammate was enough to throw the match over the edge. The last two sets fell easily for Li Xiaoxia.

Gold for Miss Number 2 and tears for both players. For Li Xiaoxia a two time runner-up at the world champs, now Olympic champion, it was tears of triumph and joy. For Ding Ning it was tears of anguish and frustration, her hard work and success, dreams of Olympic gold, all put to rest by an opponent on wonderful form and an umpire who destroyed the mental stability of arguably the best player in the world currently. The young Ding Ning, described by many as one of the most pleasant players on the global circuit, appeared heartbroken. Tough for many fans to see, the aftermath will be interesting to follow. Gold and Silver for China, but a final which will be remember for many reasons into the future.

Feng Tianwei Dominates Bronze Match

It was the first medal available in the table tennis in London and two amazing female players went head to head. Kasumi Ishikawa of Japan the slight favourite, but Feng Tianwei of Singapore on great form and looking strong. Singapore having a history of 4th place in the games, this was Feng's chance to break that cycle.

Feng Tianwei takes bronze!
Image from Yahoo Sports

The match really came down to a battle of service. Fast paced rallies and Ishikawa forced 90% of the balls to the backhand of the Singapore player to avoid the much strong forehand, opting to make quick direction changes to the forehand to catch her off guard. The plan seemed to have some effect but through her service Feng Tianwei was able to take control of the match. Playing with incredible speed and dominating wide angle forehands and control spin backhands it was Feng Tianwei who showed no sign of letting up as she took the lead.

Ishikawa's efforts to stay in the match fell further and further behind as Feng led 1-0, 2-0 and 3-0. With her last chance to remain in the game Ishikawa had to pull a miracle. Feng Tianwei would let no such thing happen, before we knew it she lead 6-0 in the 4th set. This was a lead which she would convert into a bronze medal. Leading 10-2, the Japanese player led a comeback to 10-6 but Feng Tianwei, determined to succeed, closed out the match and took the first medal on tap for table tennis, a bronze in the women's singles.

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Semifinals for Mens Singles Ready to Go

Medal contention is the hot topic for the mens singles in London. With Michael Maze suffering a tight 4-3 loss to Ovtcharov in perhaps the most intense match of the competition so far and Chuang Chih-Yuan sailing into his semifinal in straight sets over Adrian Crisan, the pressure was on China's athletes to complete their quarterfinal matches.

Wang Hao heading into the semifinals

It was seemingly no sweat for Wang Hao who faced Seiya Kishikawa of Japan. You had to wonder whether after struggling to face Greece's Gionis Panagiotis that Kishikawa could pose much of a threat to the second seed. It was somewhat of a walkover for Wang, no set reaching over 16 points. He just seemed to be too solid for the Japanese player in every point. It was 4-0 before we even knew it and Wang Hao setup his semifinal match against Taiwan's Chuang Chih-Yuan.

Zhang Jike faced Tianyi Jiang from Hong Kong in his quarterfinal match. Jiang a player who has emerged as a bit of a giant in this year's ITTF World Tour events and has had some top class results, this is reflected in his battle to the quarters. The HK player who had beaten Wang Hao at this year's China Open was no stranger to top class competition. Zhang Jike, World Number 1, World Champion and World Cup winner, just like his female counterpart Ding Ning. Young and deadly and vying for a grand slam.

Apart from the one set stolen away by Jiang it was plain sailing for Jike who, after a scare from Samsonov, seems to have hit gold medal form. Lashing out with incredible backhand attacking strokes and holding the form which got him to where he is today, he took his 4 sets with relative ease, one being stretched to 11-9, the rest comfortable. The World Number 1 will play Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Europe's last hope in the event, dreaming of gold and no doubt he will be competing at the highest standard to ensure he makes it there.

Chinese Women Soar Into Finals Contention

The Women's semifinals provided some of the finest quality entertainment to table tennis spectators around the globe. Of particular note was the fantastic effort of Feng Tianwei in her battle with World Number 1 Ding Ning. Catching on to tactical errors by the World Champion who chose to return easily attackable balls with safer pushes, Feng Tianwei was able to utilise her extraordinary forehand dominant game to put up a great fight in the match. After Ding Ning took the first two sets with relative ease the Singaporean struck back and claimed a set with the finest of margins, 11-9.

Ding Ning tightened up her game and played more aggresively and took the 4th set a tight 12-10, opportunities for Feng presented themselves but the young Chinese athlete closed it out quickly. The 5th set presented another chance for Feng. Ding Ning found herself pressed back from the table, playing more defensively. It was a strategy which cost her another set, 11-6 the margin this time, Feng Tianwei showed no mercy in her attack. This set produced some of the finest rallies of the tournament so far with multiple shots being exchanged, paralleling their rallies in their WTTC showdown earlier this year.

Ding Ning advances to the Final
Image from ETTU.org

Ding Ning took early advantage in the 6th and when we thought it was all over at 11-4 (including the umpire), Feng produced a fine edge shot and the point awarded to China was reversed. The Chinese player turned down a timeout call by the Chinese coach but took it two points later at 10-6 and utilised it to take the next point and setup her place in the final. A fine quality match for all watching and a great fight by Singapore.

Kasumi Ishikawa faced a more aggressive opponent, Li Xiaoxia. The former world number 1, sharing the same coach as one of the sports finest women's players of all time (Zhang Yining) showed no relent in her onslaught. With fast and close to the table rallying, she converted the rallies into opportunities to slot in forehand attacks and used those to earn point after point. Ishikawa struggled to keep the game close, the first two sets to Li X.X going 11-5 and 11-4. Ishikawa was able to earn a hard fought 3rd set 13-11 but it didn't stop the Chinese 2nd seed from finishing the match as she started and joining her teammate Ding Ning in the finals, a guaranteed two medals for China. The last two sets 11-6 and 11-7.

So the final will promise to be an epic showdown between two Chinese superstars, Ding Ning the World Number 1 and World Champion, Olympic top seed with everything to win and everything to lose. Li Xiaoxia will no doubt put up the fight of her life to try and claim that Olympic Gold. Don't miss out!