46^th World Table Tennis Championships

Osaka, Japan · April 23 - May 6, 2001

Men’s Singles Quarterfinals and Semifinals

By Larry Hodges

Men's Singles Quarterfinals

Wang Liqin vs. Kim Taek Soo. Photo copyright 2001 by Julian Waters.

Wang Liqin (CHN) d. Kim Taek Soo (KOR), -15,14,15,13
The hard-luck saga of Kim Taek Soo continues. It was just a few days ago – seems an eternity here at day 13 of the worlds, but actually only six days ago – that Kim had seven match and team tie points on Liu Guozheng in the semifinals of the Teams, but couldn’t score that last point. Now, once again the Gods didn’t smile on him. The two had played four times in the past two years, with Wang winning three, including the last two – at the U.S. Open and Brazil Open in July of 2000, both times in the quarterfinals, 3-2 and 3-1.

Wang and Kim had played a phenomenal match to 15-all in the third of this best of five. Kim had done everything in the first game – looping winners from everywhere, blocking and fishing back anything Wang gave him and winning, 21-15. In the second, Wang had done it right back, winning 21-14. Whether it was the big ball, the playing conditions, or just two great players, the rallies were spectacular – as good as the somewhat “historic” match Kim had had with Liu Guozheng six days ago.

In the third, both had really turned it on, and the score was 15-all. Wang stepped way, way around on his backhand corner and loop killed down the line. The ball hit the table – but where? Wang raised his fist and yelled triumphantly - and the umpire called edge. Kim strongly disagreed. The fans in the stands booed strenuously – nearly all thought it had been a side. (I was in good position to see it, and I thought it was 80% likely it was a side, but I wasn’t certain.) Then the replay came on the big screen. I didn’t see it – I was watching the argument on the court – but those who did see it all said it showed it was clearly a side, and the point should have been Kim’s. But the umpire’s call stood, and the score was 16-15 Wang. (Did the umpire see the replay on the huge scoreboard? If he did, could or would he have changed his call?)

Did this bother Kim? He didn’t score another point that game, losing the next five in a row. Should it have affected him like this? He shouldn’t have let it, but it apparently did, and the match seemed to turn on this. While Kim battled all though the fifth, he fell behind early on, and never came back. Halfway through the fourth, Kim, realizing his chances were slipping away, began to go for – and make – incredible shots. But Wang, rising to the occasion, pulled away near the end with a series of fantastic defensive points, mixing in blocking and sudden counterloop winners. Kim, rushed by Wang’s blocks, began to make mistakes. At the end, Wang was playing near perfect table tennis, scoring the last five in a row.

Wang said, “I was very well prepared mentally for this match, and I felt sure I would win. I didn’t make many mistakes.”

Liu Guoliang vs. Chiang Peng-Lung. Photo copyright 2001 by Julian Waters.

Chiang Peng-Lung (TPE) d. Liu Guoliang (CHN), -12,17,6,19  
Perhaps someone should tell Chiang that he was 0-7 lifetime against Liu coming into this match? That Liu was simply too quick for him? Or perhaps someone should tell Liu that the match was over, that a 2-1 game and 13-3 point lead was insurmountable? (Well … it was.)

Liu won the first easily, 12-3, 21-12. Chiang goes up 8-4, 12-8 in the second, and while Liu keeps coming back (15-14 at its closest), Chiang’s inverted forehand loops and jabbing backhands are a match for Liu’s pips-out forehand smashes and jabbing backhand. (Both are penholders.) In fact, perhaps it was in this game that Chiang got the germ of an idea that, as good as his forehand was, he couldn’t match up with Liu unless he won on the backhand side as well, since the quick Liu could go to either side so quickly?

Game three leaves spectator’s jaws dropping. Is Chiang playing that good, or Liu that bad? Such two-winged penholder play – he’s putting balls away on both wings! Chiang goes up 15-2 (China calls time out at 10-1, to no avail), and wins 21-6. We all expect Chiang to loop kill with his forehand, but over and over Liu would jab-block to his backhand, and Chiang would backhand kill a winner.

Game three seemed a fluke … until Chiang does it again in game four, continuing his two-winged rampage. This time he goes up 11-1, 13-3! Liu throws his hands up in despair at one point – someone he had never lost to is pulverizing him for the second straight game.

But then Liu picks up the pace, and Chiang begins to make mistakes. Liu scores four in a row, 7-13. Chiang gets one, 7-14. Then … Liu scores ten in a row! He’s suddenly up 17-14, on a 14-1 run! Why, oh why, hasn’t the Taiwan coach – or Chiang – called a timeout? (Or, as Mitch Rothfleisch later said, “The best timeout never called.”) Liu is smashing everything, and – let’s face it – Chiang is playing horribly, over and over missing loops and backhand hits that earlier he had made with ease.

At this point, you could have gotten heavy odds that the match was over, that Liu would win. But the Gods smiled on Chiang (as they hadn’t on fellow-penhold looper Kim), and Liu misses a couple of shots, and it’s 17-16. Liu smashes (18-16), then Chiang loop kills (18-17).

Liu is serving at the end. He serves & loops a winner. Now Chiang’s back is to the wall, with Liu, probably the best server in the world, serving with a 19-17 lead. Liu serve and quick pushes, Chiang loop kills, 19-18. Chiang backhand hits the serve down the line, nearly acing Liu, 19-all. Then they have the most memorable point of the match – Liu, the pips-out penholder, is forced off the table, and flips his racket (as he often does) to the inverted side – and the two inverted penholders counterloop it out! Can Liu counterloop with Chiang, one of the greatest loopers (if not the greatest) in the world? Liu loops and fishes Chiang’s loops back over and over, and you suddenly realize this guy can play with inverted! But this is Chiang’s game – and Liu finally misses, to a huge ovation. But Chiang’s back from the depths, and its championship point, 20-19 for Chiang.

Liu serves fast and deep, Chiang backhand counters, and Liu jab-blocks off – and as quick as that, it’s over. One of the greatest comebacks ever to not happen didn’t happen.

Liu Guoliang said afterwards, “It was really a pity that I couldn’t profit from coming back in the fourth game. I thought I had control, but when I led 19-17, Chiang became more aggressive. To be honest, at this World Championships, I haven’t been at my best.”

Chiang Peng-Lung said, “I realized that Liu was using faster serves to make up for not being comfortable with the new big ball. After that it was a matter of getting used to it and hitting back aggressively with my backhand. In the fourth game, I became too eager to finish it off.”

Ma Lin vs. Liu Guozheng. Photo copyright 2001 by Julian Waters.

Ma Lin (CHN) d. Liu Guozheng (CHN), 19,13,-10,-14,19  
In this all-Chinese match (five of the eight quarterfinalists are Chinese, so two have to play), there were no coaches and little crowd interest. Neither played with the outward emotion shown in other matches, and while the play was excellent (especially toward the end), the crowd wasn’t into it until near the end. However, as the match went on, and things didn’t go his way, you could see the frustration in Liu Guozheng. The two play similar, even thought Ma is a penholder to Liu’s shakehands grip. Both loop from both sides, with Ma having the best penhold backhand loop in the world – a nearly unknown shot just a few years ago. Liu tends to be more of a shot-maker (ripping from both wings), while Ma keeps coming at players with his loops. Liu had won 3-0 the last time these two had played (in the quarterfinals of the Swedish Open in November of 2000), but Ma had won the three previous times they had played, 3-0, 3-1 and 3-0.

The first four game are pretty uneventful as the two trade blistering topspins back and forth. Ma wins the first two; Liu the next two. In the fifth, it’s dead even to 13-all. Then Ma gets three in a row, 16-13. Then Liu gets three in a row, 16-all. Then Ma gets three in a row, 19-16. Then, darned if it ain’t so, Liu gets three in a row, 19-all!

Liu loops Ma’s next serve, Ma blocks it to his wide forehand, and Liu moves over to loop and - misses! He yells in disgust – at this level, it was an easy shot. Ma serves again, and Liu drops it short. Ma drops it short right back, and Liu flips. Ma loops, Liu loops – and Liu’s loop catches the net, and pops up – an easy hanger for Ma, who backhand kills it. A look of absolute disgust passes over Liu’s face.

Kong Linghui vs. Vladimir Samsonov. Photo copyright 2001 by Julian Waters.

Kong Linghui (CHN) d. Vladimir Samsonov (BLR), 15,10,-11,20  
Samsonov had won 3-0 the last time they had played, in the semifinals of the Brazil Open in July 2000. Lifetime, Kong was up 6-5 head-to-head, but that dates back to 1996. Kong had won the two previous times before the Brazil Open, but Samsonov had won the previous three times.

I don’t claim to understand why, but for the first two games, Samsonov wasn’t there. He was sluggish and sloppy, and barely seemed to want to play. I don’t mean this figuratively – he was barely moving, simply not into the match. While he was going through the motions, Kong won the first two games at 15 & 10.

Then, as Samsonov approached the table to start the third game, he began hopping up and down – almost the most activity he’d done so far! The crowd actually gave him an ovation! He was alive!  And now the match that should have started two games ago really started. Ripping winners from both wings, the tall Belarusan (who dwarfed Kong and most of his other opponents) won the third 21-11 – and from the looks of it, Kong didn’t have a chance any more. Kong went up 4-1 in the fourth, but it was only temporary – Samsonov came roaring back like an uncaged tiger, tied it at 9-all, and went up 15-10, 17-13.

But Kong is not to be trifled with – he is the 2000 Olympic Men’s Singles Gold Medallist – and he scores four in a row on his serve mostly by all-out forehand attacking. Samsonov loops in his next serve to go up 18-17. Then it’s 18-all … 19-all. Samsonov serves, begins to step around to loop his forehand from the backhand – but Kong flipped to his forehand, a winner! 19-20 match point. But Kong backhand hit the next serve in the net, 20-all. They then trade flips – but Samsonov flips Kong’s serve into the net, while Kong mimics the 19-all point, flipping a winner to Samsonov’s forehand to end the match.

This match was a major disappointment – the last of the Europeans was out, and we were left to wonder what might have been if Samsonov hadn’t literally given away the first two games. However, Samsonov didn’t really believe he had “given” away those games.

“I was really trying in the first two games – but somehow I just couldn’t win many points,” he said. “At the end of the last game luck was not on my side – I was really ready to play more, but now I must go home.”

Kong said, “Samsonov’s change of tactics in the third game surprised me. When he is leading he plays more aggressive, and then he is a more difficult opponent.”

Men’s Singles Semifinals

Wang Liqin vs. Chiang Peng-Lung. Photo copyright 2001 by Julian Waters.

Wang Liqin (CHN) d. Chiang Peng-Lung (TPE), 13,22,14  
This was a match-up of two of the most powerful loopers in the world. These two, along with Kim Taek Soo, lead the world’s top players in power production. In this case, the two played dead even most of the match. The difference? In all three games, world #1 Wang went on streaks near the end where he’d score nearly every point on his serve. In the first game, leading 15-13, Wang scores six in a row (the last four while serving) to win. In the second game, Chiang is about to tie the match up, leading 20-15 – and Kong scores five in a row on his serve! Wang gets a sixth point in a row to go up game point 21-20, and ends up winning 24-22.  If Chiang had won this game, the outcome might have been very different. In the third game, Wang led 16-14 – and scored the next five in a row on his serve.

In this match, Wang showed the form that made him the #1 ranked player in the world coming into these Worlds. He’d been playing shaky before, but that’s over with.

Ma Lin vs. Kong Linghui. Photo copyright 2001 by Julian Waters.

Kong Linghui (CHN) d. Ma Lin (CHN), -14,17,13,15
These two have probably played a zillion times, and spent an eternity practicing together. Kong, ranked #2 in the world, is the “old pro,” who won the 1995 Worlds as an up-and-coming star, and the 2000 Olympics as a veteran. Ma, ranked #3 in the world, lost to Liu Guoliang deuce in the fifth in the final of the last worlds (1999).

Ma runs away with the first game, 21-14, with a mixture of forehand and backhand loops (using his signature penhold backhand loop) and excellent receive. In the second, Kong gradually pulled away in winning 21-17. In the third, it’s 13-all – and Kong runs off eight in a row (four serving, four receiving). In the fourth, down 8-6, Ma calls a timeout. Down 8-12, Ma scores three in a row, and Kong calls a timeout. Ma ties it up 12-all. Then Kong pulls away and wins: 15-14, 18-14, 18-15, 21-15. 

After a week of singles play, it’s all come down to the top two seeds meeting in the final. Kong is up 5-3 in their lifetime series, but Wang has won the last two times, both times 3-0 - at the May, 2000 China Open Semifinals, and at the November 1999 Swedish Open Final.

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