46^th World Table Tennis Championships

Osaka, Japan · April 23 - May 6, 2001

Men's Doubles Final

By Larry Hodges

Men's Doubles Final. Photo copyright 2001 by Julian Waters.

Wang Liqin/Yan Sen (CHN) d. Kong Linghui/Liu Guoliang (CHN), 12,12,18

Kong and Liu were the world’s dominant doubles team for years, winning the 1996 Olympics and the last two Worlds (1997 and 1999). Then a threat emerged: teammates Wang and Yan, who they beat in the 1999 Worlds Final, but lost to in the Olympic Final. These two teams are, based on their records, the two best teams in the world. Kong and Liu are both right-handed with very different styles, yet still dominated the world for years, partly because they are simply great players – currently #2 and #4 in the world. (Liu is tied for fourth with teammate Liu Guozheng at #4.) Wang, ranked #1 in the world, is partnered with doubles specialist Yan Sen, a left-hander ranked #30 in the world. (For a look at their respective records, see yesterday’s May 4 report.) Lifetime, Kong/Liu are 7-3 against Wang/Yan, but Wang/Yan won last time out, in a pretty important match in the Olympic Doubles Final. Kong/Liu will be going for their third consecutive World Men’s Doubles Championships.

Wang/Yan ran away with the first two games, 21-12, 21-12. When they go up 6-2 in the third, Kong/Liu call a timeout. It doesn’t help much as Wang/Yan go up 10-5, 15-10. They are just too strong – they relentlessly loop and counterloop, over and over. Despite a last-minute comeback, Wang/Yan win.

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