Ma Long was out of the game, and the national table tennis men's singles was hit hard, can he regain his strength?
In the men's singles 1/16 finals of the 2024 WTT Saudi Arabia Grand Slam, Ma Long lost to South Korea's Jang Yuzhen with a score of 0-3 and was out of the tournament. In the game, Ma Long saved two game points in a row and overtook the score to 11-10, but Zhang Yuzhen finally took the lead 13-11. In the game, Zhang Yuzhen continued to fight boldly, 11-6 and then the next city. In the deciding game, Ma Long fell behind 8-10 at one point, and Zhang Yuzhen scored 3 points in a row to lock in the victory 11-8.
Ma Long's exit is a big surprise, he is the main force of the national table tennis men's unit in the top 32 of this Grand Slam after Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan. Liang Jingkun won the World Table Tennis Championships in Incheon, but lost to Alamyan 2-3 this time; Lin Gaoyuan was the runner-up in the new World Cup, but lost 1-3 to Denmark's Grote.
The three main players have been out one after another, which is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the national table tennis men's team. This released a dangerous signal that the dominance of the national table tennis men's team in the world table tennis is far inferior to that of the women's team. The strength of the men's singles of the foreign association is rising, not only the special style of play is difficult to deal with, but the comprehensive strength is also challenging the national table tennis.
Liang suffered a setback in the first round against Turkey's Alamiyan. Before the match, Liang Jingkun, as the top seed, should have advanced easily. However, as soon as the match began, Alamiyan played a frantic attack, and Liang Jingkun's serve and cut ball were weak and soon fell into the disadvantage. Although Liang Jingkun later adjusted his state and equalized the score to 2-2, he still failed to grasp the opportunity in the deciding game and finally lost 2-3.
Lin Gaoyuan's game is also a sigh. As the runner-up of the new World Cup, Lin Gaoyuan has high hopes in this Grand Slam. However, in the first round of the competition, he lost 1-3 to Denmark's Grote and was unexpectedly eliminated.
Before the game, Lin Gaoyuan was considered to have the upper hand by virtue of his world ranking advantage. However, after the start of the game, Grote showed an extraordinary performance, and his spinning ball path was varied, and Lin Gaoyuan has not been able to find a way to deal with it. Although Lin Gaoyuan pulled the big score to 1-2 in the game and once pulled the game back to his mind, Grote finally won the tiebreaker 11-8, and the victory also put the national table tennis men's singles into a huge predicament.
The three main players have been out one after another, which is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the national table tennis men's team. This released a dangerous signal that the dominance of the national table tennis men's team in the world table tennis is far inferior to that of the women's team. The strength of the men's singles of the foreign association is rising, not only the special style of play is difficult to deal with, but the comprehensive strength is also challenging the national table tennis. Even a top player like Ma Long is a little powerless in the case of intensive events.
In the face of the approaching Paris Olympics, the top priority of the national table tennis men's team is to find out the root cause of the problem, properly arrange the game, and avoid the main injuries and too much psychological pressure. First of all, it is necessary to deeply analyze the reasons for the defeat of the main forces such as Ma Long, Liang Jingkun, and Lin Gaoyuan, to see whether it is a decline in the technical and tactical level or a problem in the psychological state. It is necessary to arrange the rhythm of the game reasonably, avoid overwork of the main force, and ensure that the state is at the best level. Psychological counseling should be strengthened to help athletes adjust their mentality and establish confidence in victory. Finally, it is necessary to increase the training of young players, reserve qualified substitutes for the main force, and form a talent echelon.
The predicament faced by the national table tennis men's team is indeed grim, but as long as they deal with it calmly, they will definitely be able to regain their former domineering, turn the tide at the Paris Olympics, and win honor for the country and the people.