In the men's singles semifinals of table tennis at the Tokyo Olympics, Malone narrowly defeated Dimitri Ochalov 4-3 to meet teammate Fan Zhendong in the final. In an interview with the German press, Ocharov said: "It must have been one of the best games I played, I was very close to beating him (referring to Malone), I felt emptiness and deep pain, I couldn't believe the game was over. ”
Screenshots from foreign media
In this game, Ochalov showed great tenacity, and with the first two sets conceded, he relied on a positive and fierce play to chase the score to 2-2. Subsequently, Malone won another set to lead 3-2, but Ochalov still did not give up, dragging the game into the decider, although ultimately lost to Malone, his personal performance was highly recognized by the coaching staff and the German Table Tennis Association.
Ochalov
After the match, Ocharov's coach, Jorge Roskopf (who won the men's singles third place at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics), commented: "This is a fierce, high-quality duel, such a match, in fact, is rare. From the first to the last innings, I was very happy with Dima (Ocharov's nickname), which played really crazy today and has always been at a high level. Unfortunately, the final result makes people feel very bitter. Now we're ready to compete for the bronze medal. ”
Ocharov and Malone
Technical Director Richard Planter also gave Ocharov a high praise: "This is one of the most wonderful matches I have ever seen, the standard, the drama and the style of play of the players on both sides are unforgettable, they take table tennis to a whole new level. ”
Despite the praise and applause, Ocharov was reluctant: "I am the biggest event in the world, the best in history (referring to Malone), and only God can understand what I have lost." 」 On a point of view, I couldn't have done better on a complacency and tactical level. ”
After the game, Ocharov needed the encouragement and comfort of his family the most: "Without my family, I would not have been able to get to where I am today." Whether it is this tournament or the usual training, it is very hard, it is impossible for one person to complete, I just want to hear the voices of my family now, you can shout out your encouragement to me, it will make me feel better. ”