46^th World Table Tennis Championships

Osaka, Japan · April 23 - May 6, 2001

Women’s Singles Semifinals and Final

By Larry Hodges

Semifinals

Wang Nan vs. Zhang Yining. Photo copyright 2001 by Julian Waters.

Wang Nan (CHN) d. Zhang Yining (CHN), 19,11,-17,13
These two have played four times in the last two years in international matches, splitting them. Wang won in the quarterfinals of the 2000 China Open (3-0) and in the final of the 1999 World Championships (3-2). Zhang won in the final of the Pro-Tour GD-Final (3-2) and in the quarterfinals of the 1999 Austrian Open (3-0).

There isn’t a whole lot to write about this match – there rarely is when two Chinese players play. Many thought that, since the other semifinal match hadn’t been played, and it was still possible that Kim Yun Mi of Korea would be in the final, that China would want Zhang to dump to Wang, since Wang would probably lock up Kim. (Zhang probably would as well, but not perhaps as strongly as Wang.) Whether a match was played or not, some of the points look less energetic than if they had been against another country. Most likely, the games were for real, but neither player was playing with the outward emotion they would have when playing Korea or another rival country. After a short intermission where Zhang won the third, it was all Wang Nan.

Kim Yun Mi serving to Lin Ling. Photo copyright 2001 by Julian Waters.

Lin Ling (CHN) d. Kim Yun Mi (PRK), 14,-14,18,11
These two have never played. This might be to the Korean’s advantage since she played an unusual style, while Lin played a pretty orthodox shakehands looping game. Interestingly, here Kim is, in the semifinals of the Worlds, on the verge of the finals – and North Korea didn’t even play her in the Women’s Team final against China, since they had her down as their #4 player. Her #59 in the world ranking obviously is not up to date – but the three teammates North Korea played ahead of her in the teams were ranked #19, 68 and 76 in the world. None of these rankings would turn out to be accurate, or North Korea wouldn’t have made the final of the Teams. Throughout the match, both Kim and Lin had huge cheering sections, on opposite sides of the arena, chanting, banging drums, and playing a plethora of musical instruments between points.

Kim is a penholder with long pips on the back of her racket. She plays nearly all backhands with the long pips, chop-blocking dead balls over and over. She both attacks and blocks with the forehand inverted side. She usually returns serves passively. However, if you give her a passive ball (especially with backspin) to her backhand or middle, she hits with the long pips, using the back of her racket. This gives her three backhand weapons: she can hit or chop block with the long pips (using the back of the racket) or jab-block with the inverted side in the conventional penhold manner. 

Lin won the first 21-14, but Kim came back and won the second by the same score. Two things were happening: first, like many defensive players, Kim was getting better and better as the match went on and she tuned into her opponent’s attack; and second, Lin kept pushing Kim’s serve back to her backhand. This allowed Kim to quick-hit with her backhand long pips, and follow with either a long-pipped chop block, or an inverted jab block. That was too much variation for Lin, who made mistake after mistake. (Long-time U.S. players may remember a similar strategy by 2-time U.S. Champion Eric Boggan who used to open with antispin on his backhand, and follow with either the anti or inverted side, flipping the racket accordingly with his Seemiller grip.)

In the third, Kim goes up 9-4, and Lin calls a timeout. She has experimented with playing a topspin defense, luring Kim into attacking – but while Kim is primarily a blocker, she can also loop and smash, and this strategy didn’t work. In the end, Lin goes on an all-out attack, and this time it is effective – she ties it up at 14-all, and goes up 19-17. The two then play an extremely long counterlooping point – the best point of the match. It was a surprising point since Kim only occasionally would be lured into such rallies. Much of the rally has Lin fishing while Kim loops, but toward the end Lin spins stronger and stronger, and finally Kim misses. She looks to her coach, looking absolutely crestfallen. Lin wins game three, 21-18.

In game four, at 7-6, Lin gets hot, and wins six in a row to lead 13-6 – and it’s basically over. Lin is attacking at will, and also wins a few points lobbing and fishing.

Lin Ling said, “I am happy with the victory. I started out a little nervous, but once I got used to her different style, it was easier to play.”

South Korean Coach Lee Hyung II said after his player Kim Yun Mi lost to Lin Ling: “She should have remained calm instead of panicking.”

It’s going to be an all-Chinese Women’s Final … again.

Women’s Singles Final

Wang Nan vs. Lin Ling. Copyright 2001 by Julian Waters.

Wang Nan (CHN) d. Lin Ling (CHN), -14,12,12,19
These two haven’t played in international competition in two years. In January of 1999, Wang defeated Lin in the final of the Pro-Tour GD, 3-2. In September of 1998, Wang defeated Lin in the quarterfinals of the China Open, 3-0. So there’s not much track record to go on – other than their respective resumes.

Wang Nan has been the #1 ranked woman in the world since January of 1999, while Lin is ranked #14 in the world. Wang has a resume that goes on and on and one, while Lin’s is about half a page. Lin does have one very big title: she was the 2000 Asian Women’s Singles Champion. She has won numerous doubles and team titles, but only one Pro Tour event: the 1998 Yugoslavia Open. Nan’s resume, on the other hand, go on forever, and ranges from being the current Olympic and World Women’s Singles and Doubles Champion to nine Pro Tour singles events. So she should win easily….

Game one to the two-winged looping world #14, resume-impaired Lin Ling, 21-14.

In the second, Wang becomes much more aggressive, and Lin makes a number of careless mistakes as Wang pulls away, 8-8, 12-8, 16-9, 21-12. The third is the same: 9-9, 14-10, 17-12, 21-12. The fourth seems to go the same way: 7-7, 12-7, 15-10 for Wang (the last point on a net-edge). Then Lin scores all five on her serve – 15-all – and we have a match back on our hands. Wang goes up 18-15, but Lin loops a winner, 18-16. Wang serve and rips a follow, but the ball nicks the net and goes off, 18-17.

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