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Elevated to the top place on the Men’s World Ranking list earlier in the week, Ma Long won the Men’s Singles title at the Asian Championships in the Korean city of Busan on the evening of Sunday 7th July 2013.
In so doing not only did he retain the title, he made it three in a row; he won in the Indian city of Lucknow in 2009 and in 2012 in Macau.
The second seed in Busan, he overcame Chinese National Team compatriot, Yan An, the no.5 seed, in the final (11-5, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9).
Success for the second seed in the Men’s Singles final, in the counterpart Women’s Doubles final, it was victory for the second seeds in opposition to the top seeds.
Again an all-Chinese final, Chen Meng and Zhu Yuling upset the pecking order by beating beat Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen in six games (6-11, 11-8, 11-5, 4-11, 11-9, 11-5).
Victory for Ma Long over Yan An in the final; a young man very much in form on the concluding day.
At the semi-final stage, Yan An had accounted for top seed and compatriot, Xu Xin in four straight games (11-8, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5); a contest which never came to light with Xu Xin never able to find a hint of his best form.
In late September 2012 at the LIEBHERR Men’s World Cup in the English port city of Liverpool, Xu Xin had been a shadow of his true self at the semi-final stage when beaten my Ma Long in four straight games; in Busan it was the same well below par performance.
It was difficult to assimilate the fact that in their most recent three meetings on the international scene, Xu Xin had beaten Yan An without ever being stretched to the limit.
In 2012 at the quarter-final stage of the Men’s Singles event at the GAC Group Koltsovo Russian Open he won in four straight games in their quarter-final duel.
Similarly earlier this year at the same stage at the GAC Group Korean Korea Open, Xu Xin had won in four straight games whilst in the final of the GAC Asian Cup in Hong Kong he had prevailed in six games.
Success for Yan An was followed by success for Ma Long against Kenta Matsudaira (11-5, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7); the Japanese star gave his all but once Ma Long established a three point lead the mighty forehand rolled into action and an all Chinese final was assured.
Meanwhile, at the semi-final stage of the Women’s Doubles event, Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen who had beaten Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa and Misaki Morizono, the no.5 seeds. at the quarter-final stage (11-5, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5), imposed their authority on proceedings in the penultimate round.
They defeated the host nation’s Park Youngsook and Yang Haeun, the no.6 seeds (11-6, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5).
A comfortable win for the top seeds at the semi-final stage; it was less so for the second seeds.
Having overcome Japan’s Ai Fukuhara and Marina Matsuzawa in the quarter-finals (11-5, 11-8, 11-8), they found life much more difficult against the Hong Kong teenage duo of Doo Hoi Kem and Li Ching Wan, the no.7 seeds. They needed six games to secure victory (11-9, 11-9, 11-13, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6); in particular Chen Meng was very much out of sorts, the backhand never in motion.
At the quarter-final stage Doo Hoi Kem and Li Ching Wan had caused a major upset; the ousted Singapore’s Feng Tianwei and Yu Mengyu, the third seeds, in a full distance five games duel (11-6, 11-9, 13-15, 3-11, 11-8).
It may have been gold for China but for Hong Kong the bronze medal was worth gold; an exciting new generation is emerging from the region, in one year’s time it may be very different, very different indeed.
Article By: ITTF - Ian Marshall
Photo By: Steve Parkin
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