Marlon Saudi lost 0-3 in the Grand Slam
The 2024 Saudi Grand Slam table tennis tournament will undoubtedly be remembered in the history of Chinese table tennis. In this high-profile top-level competition, China's number one star Ma Long suffered a shocking upset defeat. The player, who won the singles World Cup in Macau last time, lost 0-3 to South Korea's Jang Woo-jin in Saudi Arabia and swept out of the tournament.
At the beginning of the game, Malone did not show any abnormalities. The two sides went back and forth, and Malone was quite good on his serve and backhand, but he began to fall behind in the middle game. Although Malone tried hard to chase the score many times, he finally lost the first game 13-11. Ma Long's state continued to decline in the game, and Zhang Yuzhen seized the opportunity to score consecutive points and won the game 11-6. In the third game, Malone had fallen into passivity, whether it was serving or backhand, he was unable to do so, and finally fell behind again 11-8 and regretted 0-3.
This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to Ma Long. As the number one star of Chinese table tennis, Ma Long was invincible in the last World Cup in Macau. He not only swept the world ranked Wang Chuqin 4-0 in the semifinals, but also struggled to reverse the desperate situation of falling behind 0-3 in the final, and finally defeated Lin Gaoyuan 4-3 to win the championship. Ma Long's poor performance in the Saudi Grand Slam undoubtedly shocked and disappointed all fans and pundits.
The other main forces of national table tennis were also unpopular
What's even more shocking is that in addition to Ma Long, other main players of national table tennis have also suffered upsets in the Saudi Grand Slam. For example, Ma Long's opponent Lin Gaoyuan in the Macau World Cup final failed to extend his good form in the Saudi arena and was also swept out. Liang Jingkun and other national table tennis players are also losing in the Saudi Grand Slam.
This is undoubtedly a rare downturn in Chinese table tennis in recent years. As a traditional powerhouse in table tennis, the Chinese team has repeatedly performed miracles in past Grand Slam tournaments, often winning all the championships in men's singles, women's singles and doubles. However, at the 2024 Saudi Grand Slam, the national table tennis has suffered heavy losses, and the main lineup has been continuously eliminated, which is almost unheard of in the past top competitions.
A heavy blow to Malone
For Malone personally, this upset defeat was undoubtedly a heavy blow. As the number one star of Chinese table tennis, Ma Long has always been highly anticipated by fans and experts. He is a winner-takes-all in all competitions in 2023, not only winning multiple heavyweight titles such as the Men's Singles World Cup, Asian Championships and World Tour Finals, but also winning the key men's singles championship for the Chinese team at the 2023 World Table Tennis Championships.
At the Saudi Grand Slam at the start of 2024, Malone should be one of the favourites to win the title. However, he lost 3-0 to South Korea's Jang Woo-jin at the stage, and this unexpected result undoubtedly shocked and disappointed everyone. For Malone personally, this will undoubtedly be a huge psychological blow, and he needs to re-examine his state and psychological quality, and strive to regain his peak form.
Ma Long's defeat will also have a certain impact on Chinese table tennis as a whole. As the number one star of national table tennis, Ma Long has always been the leader and spiritual pillar of the team. His outstanding performance can often boost the morale and fighting spirit of the whole team. But the poor performance of the Saudi Grand Slam will undoubtedly affect the confidence of other players in the national table tennis team to a certain extent. The national team needs to bounce back in time to regain its form and be fully prepared for more important tournaments to come.
The 2024 Saudi Grand Slam table tennis tournament will undoubtedly be remembered in the history of Chinese table tennis. In this top competition, China's number one star Ma Long suffered a shocking upset defeat, losing 0-3 to South Korean player Zhang Yuzhen. What's even more shocking is that in addition to Ma Long, other main players of national table tennis such as Lin Gaoyuan and Liang Jingkun have also suffered upsets, which is almost unheard of in top competitions in the past.
For Malone personally, this upset defeat was undoubtedly a heavy blow. As the number one star of Chinese table tennis, he needs to re-examine his state and psychological quality, and strive to regain his peak form. Ma Long's defeat will also affect the confidence of other players in the national table tennis team to a certain extent, so the national team needs to cheer up in time, regain its form, and be fully prepared for more important events in the future.