Fan Zhendong Beat Xu Xin In The 2015 Swedish Open's Final

Fan Zhendong emerged champion of the 2015 Swedish Open. The wonder boy of China stood victorious over Xu Xin in the final and defended the title won last year. Unfortunately, Fan couldn't win the title in doubles, he and Zhang Jike lost to Xu Xin and Fang Bo in the final. Tristan Flore of France claimed the title in the U21 event.

Fan Zhendong captured the last title of the 2015 World Tour circuit. The Chinese player defeated his teammate Xu Xin in the final match. Xu Xinposted an overwhelming 11-1 in the first game but Fan managed to recover and sealed his victory by 12-10, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6 and 11-9. 

To book a place in the final, the wonder boy of China overcame his teammate Liang Jingkun by 11-5, 8-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8 and 11-7. In the first semifinal Xu Xin swept with Sweden's Kristian Karlsson by 11-5, 11-4, 11-3 and 11-8. 

In the men's doubles Xu Xin and Fang Bo were crowned champions. The Chinese pair emerged successfully over Fan Zhendong and Zhang Jike by 13-11, 11-9, 7-11 and 11-8 in the final. 

In the U21 event the title stayed in Europe. Tristan Flore of France won against Croatia's Filip Zeljko by 11-7, 11-9, 5-11 and 11-6.

Men's doubles Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Xu Xin vs Kristian KarlssonVideo kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Fan Zhendong vs Liang Jingkun Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Mu Zi Won The 2015 Swedish Open

Mu Zi clinched the last title of the 2015 World Tour circuit. The Chinese player won the 2015 Swedish Open after beating Zhu Yuling in a full-distance match. Previously Mu also defeated Ding Ning and Kasumi Ishikawa. In doubles Mu Zi and Chen Meng were crowned champions. The U21 event was won by Yui Hamamoto. 

Mu Zi was crowned champion of the 2015 Swedish Open. The Chinese player clinched the last title of the season and sealed an amazing performance after eliminated top players such as Ding Ning and Kasumi Ishikawa. 

In the finals Mu stood victorious over her teammate Zhu Yuling by 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 4-11, 5-11 and 11-3. To reach the final, Mu Zi defeated Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa by 11-9, 13-11, 11-9, 14-16 and 11-3. Zhu Yuling emerged successfully over Liu Shiwen by 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 11-6 and 11-6. 

Mu Zi also claimed the title in the doubles event. She and Chen Meng posted a sweeping victory over the Singaporean pair of Lin Ye and Zhou Yihan by 11-7, 11-9 and 11-5. In the U21 event Yui Hamamoto of Japan overcame Romania's Bernadette Szocs by 11-8, 11-5, 6-11 and 11-9. 

Womens doubles - Final Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Mu Zi vs Kasumi Ishikawa Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Mu Zi vs Zhu Yuling Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Kristian Karlsson Is The Only European In 2015 Swedish Open's Semifinal

Kristian Karlsson waved the flag for Sweden at home. He is the only European player in semifinals after beating his teammate Jens Lundqvist. He will meet Xu Xin tomorrow. Fan Zhendong and Liang Jingkun will clash in the second semifinals.

Kristian Karlsson against China in semifinals of the 2015 Swedish Open. The Swede reached the penultimate round as he stood victorious over Jens Lundqvist, who eliminated Zhang Jikein the third round, 12-10, 11-6, 11-6 and 11-3. In semifinals Karlsson will meet Xu Xin, who beat Chuang Chih-Yuan by 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-9 and 11-8. 

In the second semifinal Fan Zhendong will face Liang Jingkun. Fan eliminated Sweden's Anton Kallberg by 11-9, 11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 7-11 and 11-7 in quarterfinals, while Liang defeated Marcos Freitas by 16-14, 10-12, 9-11, 5-11, 11-3, 11-5 and 11-8. 

Xu Xin vs Chuang Chih-Yuan Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel 

Kristian Karlsson vs Jens Lundqvist Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel 

Fan Zhendong vs Anton Kallberg Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel 

Jiang Lingkun vs Marcos Freitas Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel 

Ding Ning eliminated from the 2015 Swedish Open, loses to compatriot Mu Zi in four straight games in the third round

Ding Ning was eliminated from the 2015 Swedish Open. The world champion faced defeat against her compatriot Mu Zi in four straight games in the third round. after that, Mu overcame Miu Hirano and reached semifinals. Kasumi Ishikawa is the only non-Chinese player in competition as she emerged successfully over Ai Fukuhara. 

Ding Ning was the biggest victim in the 2015 Swedish Open's women singles. The world champion suffered a sweeping defeat against her compatriot Mu Zi by 4-0. Ding was swept by 8-11, 7-11, 12-14 and 2-11. 

In quarterfinals Mu stood victorious over Miu Hirano by 11-8, 15-13, 11-4 and 11-8. In semifinals she will face Kasumi Ishikawa. The Japanese player defeated Ai Fukuhara by 12-10, 6-11, 11-7, 11-3 and 14-12 in quarterfinals. 

The second semifinal will be a Chinese duel. Zhu Yuling booked a place in semifinals as she overcame Portugal's Yu Fu by 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 and 11-3. Zhu will meet Liu Shiwen, who overcame Germany's Han Ying by 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6 and 11-5. 

Mu Zi vs Miu Hirano Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Liu Shiwen vs Han Ying Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Zhang Jike Eliminated By Lundqvist From The 2015 Swedish Open

Jens Lundqvist caused the biggest upset so far at the 2015 Swedish Open. The host nation's player eliminated Zhang Jike in the third round. The Olympic champion became the third Chinese victim in the tournament after the eliminations of Fang Bo and Yan An. Yesterday they are beaten by Canada's Eugene Wang and Sweden's Anton Kallberg, respectively. 

Zhang Jike became the biggest victim at the 2015 Swedish Open. The Chinese player can find victory route in the 2015 World Tour and faced defeat by hands of Jens Lundqvist in the third round. 

Lundqvist took the lead as he won the first game by 11-6, then the Olympic champion leveled by 11-5. But the Swede managed to win the next games by 11-9 and 11-3. Zhang Jike fought back and got the 5th game by 11-5. Unfortunately for the Chinese player, Lundqvist sealed his victory by 12-10 in the 6th game. 

Zhang Jike suffered the same fate of his teammates Fang Bo and Yan An yesterday. Fang Bo was defeated by Canada's Eugene Wang by 10-12, 11-2, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8, 9-11 and 11-5. Yan An lost to the host nation's Anton Kallberg. The young player prevailed by 15-13, 8-11, 13-11, 6-11, 6-11, 11-9 and 11-9. 

Another big victim of yesterday was Jun Mizutani. He suffered defeat against China'sLiang Jingkun by 9-11, 11-9, 5-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6 and 8-11. 

Anton Kallberg vs Yan AnVideo kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Michael Maze Eliminated From The 2015 Swedish Open

Michael Maze suffered an early defeat at the 2015 Swedish Open. The Danish player, who is coming back after recovering from an injury, was beaten by Sweden's Jens Lundqvist in the first round. Maze had his chances but the host nation's prevailed in a full-distance match. 

ITTF. Michael Maze was one of the victims in the first round of the 2015 Swedish Open. The former European champion is progressively coming back to tournaments after being a long time away from tables for a knee injury. 

In the first round Maze made his debut against Jens Lundqvist. He took the lead by 13-11 and 11-6, but the Swede leveled by 12-10 and 11-8. Lundqvist also won the fifth match by 11-3 but Maze fought back and leveled by 11-9. In the 7th game Lundqvist prevailed by 11-7. 

Michael Maze vs Jens Lundqvist

Video kindly shared by Official ITTF Channel

Borussia Düsseldorf Got Another Defeat In The Bundesliga

Borussia Düsseldorf scored its fourth defeat in the Bundesliga. The defending champion lost to Ochsenhausen in the 7th round and left the play-offs zone. Panagiotis Gionis and Sharath Kamal Achanta weren't enough to secure victory, while Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska recovered from injuries.

TTBL. Borussia Düsseldorf can't find victory route in the Bundesliga. The record-breaking club got its 4th defeat in the seventh round held last weekend. Borussia lost to Ochsenhausen and went down from 4th to 5th place, leaving the play-offs zone.

Simon Gauzy won the first point against Panagiotis Gionis by 11-7, 9-11, 11-8 and 11-4. In the second match Sharath Kamal Achanta leveled at 1-1 after beating Liam Pitchford by 7-11, 11-8, 11-9 and 11-6. 

Jakub Dyjas defeated Danny Heister, Borussia's coach, by 11-9, 11-5 and 11-5, and collected the seconf point for Ochsenhausen. Gionis redeemed himself as he overcame Liam Pitchford by 11-9, 9-11, 13-11, 8-11 and 13-11. But Achanta couldn't repeat success in the deciding match. He lost to Gauzy by 11-13, 11-6, 7-11, 13-11 and 7-11. 

In the previous round Borussia also faced a close defeat. The reigning champion lost to TTC Hagen. Its other defeats were against Saarbrücken and Zugbrücke Grenzau.

Petrissa Solja Praised Liu Shiwen In The World Cup

Petrissa Solja started as a qualifier in this year’s Women’s World Cup but as the competition progressed, she was labelled as the dark horse. After winning first in her group, Solja caused two consecutive upsets in the main draw, defeating the seeded Feng Tianwei and Ai Fukuhara. However, in the semifinals, she failed to continue her wonderful performance. 

PingPang World. Petrissa Solja showed her best performance after she overcame some of the biggest names in table tennis but there was one player who failed her. 

Petrissa Solja attended the World Cup and had to play in the qualifying round. After winning the two matches, she went straight to the main draw and caused a series of upsets. 

In the first round of the main draw, Petrissa Solja defeated Feng Tianwei, the fifth seed. “In the Qatar Open, I lost to Feng Tianwei in 1-4 but today, I played well. Feng Tianwei’s forehand is very strong but my mobility was very flexible. I did a good job in my defence against her attacks.” Solja said.  

Petrissa Solja vs Feng Tianwei 2015 World Cup R16 
video kindly shared by janus770

In the quarterfinals, she caused another upset and this time to the hosting team. She scored 4-3 against Ai Fukuhara. 

Petrissa Solja vs Ai Fukuhara 2015 World Cup QF 
video kindly shared by janus770

“I simply can’t dare to believe that I can win. I am very happy now. I was not in the condition in the first three sets. At that time, I was disappointed with myself. However, winning one set at a time would be fine. As the match progressed, I focused my attention and efforts in adjusting myself.” 

After winning over Fukuhara, Petrissa Solja was now labelled as the dark horse of the competition. She advanced into the semifinals and had a bigger player to face, Liu Shiwen of China. This time, she failed and she had high regards to the Chinese player. 

Petrissa Solja vs Liu Shiwen 2015 World Cup SF 
video kindly shared by janus770

“The quality of Liu Shiwen’s offences is very high. She is the best player in the world. She is very intelligent and got my weakness. Her level of competitiveness is clearly higher than mine.” Patricia Solja concluded. 

Ma Long Nominated For 2015 Male Star

As 2015 is winding up, ITTF released their shortlist for the annual Star Awards Night to be held during the Grand Finals next month in Portugal. In the male category, Fan Zhendong, Jun Mizutani, Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Ma Long were the nominees, while Ding Ning, Liu Shiwen, Kasumi Ishikawa and Petrissa Solja are the nominees for the women’s division. 

Sohu Sports. Yesterday, ITTF announced the list of nominees for this year’s Table Tennis Star Awards. In the male category, Ma Long and Fan Zhendong, among others were nominated. 

Winning this year’s World Championships and World Cup, Ma Long is the most successful table tennis player in the men’s division for the year 2015. This achievement is recognised by the ITTF and included Ma Long as one of the nominees for the Best Male Table Tennis Star for 2015. 

Ma Long vs Fang Bo 2015 WTTC MS Finals 
video kindly shared by janus770

Ma Long vs Fan Zhendong 2015 World Cup Finals 
video kindly shared by janus770

Other nominees are Fan Zhendong of China, Jun Mizutani of Japan, and the GermanDimitrij Ovtcharov. 

Fan Zhendong vs Xu Xin 2015 Asian Championships MS Finals 
video kindly shared by janus770

Jun Mizutani vs D. Ovtcharov 2014 Grand Finals MS Finals 
video kindly shared by janus770

Dimitrij Ovtcharov vs M. Freitas 2015 European Games MS Finals 
video kindly shared by janus770

Of course, Ma Long is honoured to receive such recognition and hoped that he will be able to continue his wonderful performance this year into the future. 

As for the female category, Ding Ning, Kasumi Ishikawa, Liu Shiwen and Petrissa Solja made it into the shortlist. 

The winner will be announced during the ITTF Grand Finals in Lisbon, Portugal on December 9. 

Last year’s winners were Ding Ning and Quadri Aruna.

Li Xiaoxia Eliminated In The Sweden Open First Round

The Chinese Men’s Team imposed authority over their opponents in the opening round of the main draw of the Sweden Open Men’s Singles. At the end of the round, they all remained intact. This was not the case in the women’s division after Li Xiaoxia was eliminated in the opening round. Aside from her, Feng Tianwei also bid her farewell from the competition.  

ITTF. The 2015 Sweden Open started with their main draw today, November 13. In the Singles, the Grand Slam champion Li Xiaoxia was the biggest upset. 

The Chinese Team remained intact after the opening round of the main draw. The top seed Xu Xin scored 4-1 against Robin Devos (4-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8, 11-5), while the defending champion Fan Zhendong swept Stephane Ouaiche in 4-0.  

The Grand Slam champion Zhang Jike had a good start in the competition. He swept Li Ahmet of Turkey in 11-5, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7. Other Chinese players Fang Bo, Yan Anand Liang Jingkun all posted their own victories in the competition.  

Michael Maze who have been missing in action, lost to Jens Lundqvist in 13-11,11-6, 10-12, 8-11, 3-11, 11-9, 7-11. 

Other winners in the competition are Yuya Oshima, Jun Mizutani, Chuang Chih Yuan, Marcos Freitas, among others. 

Masato Shiono was eliminated in the opening round after losing to Eugene Wang of Canada.  

Women’s Singles 

It is a huge victory for the Japanese qualifier Misako Wakamiya after she overcame the Grand Slam champion Li Xiaoxia in a full-stretch match. Wakamiya scored 11-6, 4-11, 6-11, 11-5, 1-11, 11-8, 11-8. 

The other Chinese players, Ding Ning, Mu Zi, Zhu Yuling, Liu Shiwen and Chen Mengall achieved victory in the round. Japanese Ai Fukuhara and Kasumi Ishikawa also posted their respective wins in the opening round. 

Aside from Li Xiaoxia, the women’s division had one more upset and she is Feng Tianwei who lost to Tetyana Bilenko in 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 5-11. 

Liu Guoliang Identifies Four Players For The Olympics

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Deciding on the lineup is aways not an easy job for the coaching staff of the Chinese Team. As of now, less than a year before the Olympics, the team still hasn’t decided on their Olympic lineup yet but Liu Guoliang knows who are those that have a chance to be in the biggest stage in table tennis. According to him, there are four players.  

Xinhua Net. The Olympic lineup of the Chinese Team is one of the most anticipated news in the table tennis world and Liu Guoliang identifies who are the strongest to be in such lineup. 

2015 is about to end which means that the 2016 Rio Olympics is fast approaching. At this time, some teams have already identified their Olympic lineup, but for the Chinese Team, deciding is not an easy task. 

Currently, Ma Long has the best condition among the Chinese players. This year he has won the World Championships and the World Cup. However, he hasn’t played in the Olympic Singles. In terms of experience and past results, Zhang Jike has it, after all he is the Grand Slam champion. However, his present condition is in question. 

“As Zhang Jike is facing problems in his condition, Ma Long performed with stability and that is very important for the team.” Liu Guoliang said. 

As for Xu Xin and Fan Zhendong, both haven’t won the World Championships yet. Xu Xin has won the World Cup while Fan Zhendong settled for the runner-up this year. Both players have shown good performances but the coaching staff needs more proof from them. 

“The four of them are still the most powerful players to compete for the Rio Olympics. I hope that each one of them can perform their full potential and be able to give their best efforts in less than a year. I hope that they will be able to show their fighting spirits and eventually realise their Olympic dreams.” Liu Guoliang concluded. 

Zhang Jike In The Sweden Open

The Chinese Team is present in this week’s Sweden Open and the top seeds are Xu Xin and the defending champion Fan Zhendong. Aside from them, the Grand Slam champion Zhang Jike will also be on duty in the competition. Before leaving China, his coach gave an assurance that there is no need to worry about the condition of Zhang Jike. 

ITTF. The Sweden Open has already started with the competition but the big stars haven’t debuted yet. Grand Slam champion Zhang Jike is scheduled to play in the Singles.  

The Sweden Open started yesterday, Nov 11 with the qualifying rounds. After the initial rounds in the Men’s Singles, Tamas Lakatos, Jeremy Petiot, Yang Heng Wei, Robin Devos, Mattias Oversjo, Almaraj Anthony, David McBeath, and Brian Afandor all advanced into the second round. 

Today, the competition will have its final round before entering into the main draw which will start tomorrow, November 13. 

Top seed goes to Xu Xin while the second seed goes to Fan Zhendong who is also the defending champion in the competition. Aside from them, China has also sent Zhang Jike, Fang Bo, Liang Jingkun and Yan An. 

Fan Zhendong vs Fang Bo 2014 Sweden Open MS Finals 
video kindly shared by janus770

Before travelling to Stockholm, coach Xiao Zhan was asked about the condition of Zhang Jike. He said: “No problem. No need to worry.”

Zhang Jike is the third seed in the Men’s Singles. Before this, Zhang Jike played in the Polish Open and lost in the semifinals to Stefan Fegerl. This week, his fans are hoping to see a better performance from the Grand Slam champion. 

Zhang Jike vs Stefan Fegerl 2015 Polish Open MS Finals 

Timo Boll Stays With Borussia Until 2018

Borussia Dusseldorf is considered as the strongest team in the European circuit and one of the main contributors of it is Timo Boll. Recently, the team and Boll has signed a contract that allows both parties to work together until 2018. The team acknowledges the contribution of Timo Boll while the player hopes to lead the team to more victories. 

PingPang World. Timo Boll is an important figure of the Borussia Dusseldorf and he will continue to have that status for the next three years. 

“Timo Boll is the most important part of our team. He started playing with the club in 2007 and he has led the team to achieve a series of success. In our team, he is the leader, he is a good example and he is something. I’m very happy that we still get to continue fighting together for the succeeding years.” Andreas Preuss, Borussia’s Team Manager, said. 

Timo Boll has been a part of the Borussia Dusseldorf Team for about 8 years and in those times, the team has won the championship title for 17 times. 

2009 to 2011 - European Champions League Men’s Singles 

2012 - European Cup 

2008 to 2012, 2014 & 2015 - German League 

2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 to 2015 - German Cup 

“Our team is very powerful. We have received the warm welcome and support from the locals and the fans. I hope that I would be able to lead the team to more championship titles.” Timo Boll said. 

Fan Zhendong: Still Not At Par With The Other Main Players

As a young player, Fan Zhendong continues to impress everyone with his courageous performances whether domestic or international. Just this year, he has showed his potential and has also proven his strength. However, Liu Guoliang thinks that he is still not at par with Ma Long, Zhang Jike or Xu Xin. Despite that, the head coach believes that the future of Fan Zhendong is looking bright. 

Sina Sports. Fan Zhendong has showed big improvements in just a short period of time. He has won several titles but in comparison to the other main players, he still needs more. 

Fan Zhendong has showed some good performances this year. Although he did not win in the World Championships and lost in the World Cup, he was still able to win some championship titles. 

Fan Zhendong vs Xu Xin 2015 Asian Championships 
video kindly shared by janus770

Fan Zhendong vs Stefan Fegerl 2015 Polish Open MS Finals 
video kindly shared by janus770

According to Liu Guoliang, Fan Zhendong might have improved so fast but his strength is still not at par with the other main players. 

Fan Zhendong vs Ma Long 2015 WTTC MS SF 
video kindly shared by janus770

Fan Zhendong vs Ma Long 2015 World Cup Finals 

“Fan Zhendong as of now is still not as good as Ma Long, Zhang Jikeand Xu Xin in a lot of aspects but he is still very young and his technical strength is strong. He also has his own characteristics.” Liu Guoliang said. 

Chinese Team Declines Olympic Testing Competition

The Olympic Games is nearing and the organisers would want to conduct a testing competition and invited some of the big teams for the competition, like China. However, it was confirmed that China will not be sending any delegates to the testing competition. According to the head coach, their schedule is already tight and will be focusing their time for training for the World Team Championships. 

Sina Sports. With the upcoming important competitions, the Chinese Team is putting their priorities straight, the Olympic Testing Competition is not one of them. 

With less than a year before the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Olympic Committee has invited players from China, Japan, Korea, Germany and other teams to participate in the testing competition to be held on November 18 to 21 in Rio de Janeiro. 

In an interview with an ITTF staff, it was confirmed that the Chinese Team has refused the invitation. 

This event is aiming to test the competition system, the stadium and the environment. They even gave out 500 tickets to some local spectators for free. According to the schedule, the Singles will be tested on the 19th while the Team competition on the 21st. 

According to the head coach of the Chinese Team, Liu Guoliang, their schedule is quite tight in preparation for next year’s World Team Championships. Their winter training is said to start early than expected. 

Liu Shiwen: I Will Not Suffer For Nothing

Unlike Ding Ning and Li Xiaoxia, Liu Shiwen still hasn’t been to the Olympic Games and therefore she still would want to realise her dream to play in the Olympics. This year, Liu Shiwen had some setbacks but because she did not give up on her Olympic dream, she continued to fight and fortunately, she won the World Cup, increasing her confidence to fight. 

China News Net. Liu Shiwen had some instabilities in her performance this year but because she still has that Olympic dream, she continues to move on. 

Liu Shiwen needed to win the World Championships this year but she lost to her teammate Ding Ning in the finals and eventually settles as the runner-up. But later this year, Liu Shiwen won the World Cup and that somehow increased her chances for the Rio Olympics. 

Liu Shiwen vs Ding Ning 2015 WTTC WS Finals 
video kindly shared by janus770

Liu Shiwen vs K. Ishikawa 2015 World Cup Finals 

Of course, Liu Shiwen also has her hopes for next year’s Olympic Games. “My personal goal is to participate in the Olympic Games. This championship title gave me a big confidence.” Liu Shiwen said. 

Before the World Cup, Liu Shiwen’s performance was not stable enough. She admitted it but since she has a dream, she continues to move forward. “If I don’t have a dream, I would not think about playing in the Olympics. But since I continue to persist, I will certainly not allow myself to suffer for nothing.” Liu Shiwen concluded. 

Of course, the head coach of the Chinese Women’s Team was impressed. Kong Linghui even described Liu Shiwen’s performance as perfect.

Kong Linghui Not Satisfied With Mu Zi

Mu Zi had a good start of this year after she earned her spot in the Chinese lineup for the World Championships but unfortunately, it ended not so well. She failed in the first stage of the selection process of the Chinese Women’s Team held last weekend. With that, Kong Linghui was able to see some problems and was dissatisfied with the performance. 

Xinhua Net. Mu Zi failed to advance further into the second stage of the selection process for the 2016 World Championships. Kong Linghui said there were problems in the player. 

The Chinese Women’s Team has started their selection process for the 2016 World Team Championships already. After the first stage, Wang Yidi and Liu Fei will advance further into the second stage. 

For Kong Linghui, he was very impressed with the performance of the two young players. Both performed their true levels and he emphasised his high hopes to the two players. 

“The last time, Hu Limei also attended the trials and got the direct qualification for the World Championships. I hope that someone would be able to create a better record.” Kong Linghui said. 

On the other hand, the head coach also commented on the poor performance of Mu Zi. He said that there are big problems in the state of mind of Mu Zi. “She was not able to position herself well in the competition. She was leading but failed to maintain it. Eventually, she will miss the second stage of the selection process.” Kong Linghui concluded. 

Ma Long’ era has started

Ma Long has long been considered as the strongest player in the men’s table tennis. However, this time, he has something tangible to prove it. In May of this year, he won the World Championships and later, he won the World Cup. According to Liu Guoliang, these achievements have given them confidence and he is highly appreciative about it. 

Xinhua Net. Following his victory in the World Championships, Ma Long clinched the Men’s World Cup and that just declared 2015 as his year. 

Last May, Ma Long achieved his biggest breakthrough in his career after he finally clinched the World Championships Men’s Singles title, defeating Fang Bo in the finals. 

Ma Long vs Fang Bo 2015 WTTC MS Finals 
video kindly shared by janus770

Later this year, Ma Long participated in another important competition and againstFan Zhendong, he imposed authority and clinched the title. 

Ma Long vs Fan Zhendong 2015 World Cup Finals 

“The 2015 Men’s World Cup is the most important competition in the second half of the year 2015. Ma Long wining that title just declared that 2015 is his year. This is the start of the Ma Long dynasty. His achievements gave so much confidence not only for the team but also for himself.” Liu Guoliang said. 

As of now, Ma Long is the strongest candidate for the Rio Olympics. According to the head coach, his biggest challenge is to be the Grand Slam. 

“I believe that Ma Long’s goals is not just to participate in the Olympics. The biggest challenge is to realise his dreams in the Olympics and achieve the peak of his career.” Liu Guoliang concluded. 

One More Month Till 2015 ITTF Star Awards

One More Month Till 2015 ITTF Star Awards!

The third edition of the ITTF Star Awards, that will be held on 9 December 2015 at the Pátio da Galé in Lisbon, Portugal, is merely 1 month away!

Be ready for a night full of dazzling stars with the Table Tennis stars as they dress up in their finest to celebrate their achievements in 2015!

Titles to be crowned at the 2015 ITTF Star Awards:

• Male Table Tennis Star presented by Seamaster
• Female Table Tennis Star presented by Nittaku
• Male Para Table Tennis Star presented by Tinsue
• Female Para Table Tennis Star presented by Stag International
• Table Tennis Star Coach presented by Butterfly
• Table Tennis Star Point presented by DHS
• Table Tennis Breakthrough Star presented by TMS International
• Table Tennis Fair Play Star

Liu Regains Top Spot on ITTF World Ranking After World Cup Victory

Liu Shiwen regains top spot in the world after Women's World Cup victory

LIU Shiwen has regained the top spot on the ITTF World Rankings after her victories at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Polish Open and ITTF Women’s World Cup in October. LIU’s 4th success in 4 attempts at the Women’s World Cup has not only put her name on par alongside the legendary ZHANG Yining, but also helped put her back to the no. 1 spot in the world. The 24 year-old Chinese shared “I’m happy to be back on the number spot. I certainly hope to maintain the current good form I am in now and continue working hard to achieve more!” LIU has replaced her compatriot, 2015 World Champion DING Ning, who had overtaken her since October, to occupy the top position for a 23rd time. Dislodged from her no. 1 spot, DING now occupies the third spot on the ranking, which is her lowest position in four years, the last time she was third in the World was in September 2011. Despite her quarterfinal defeat to Netherland’s LI Jiao at the Women’s World Cup, 20 year-old ZHU Yuling has reached her career’s highest, advancing to second in the world, with the help of her success in the doubles event at the Polish Open. Other star players at the ITTF Women’s World Cup earlier last weekend in Sendai, Japan, also saw ascending of their world rankings in November. Surprise semifinalist after upsetting 2 top 10 players in a row, Germany’s Petrissa Solja saw meteoric climb from no. 26 to no. 14 to reach her career best. Meanwhile, Egypt’s Dina MESHREF climbed to no. 100 after becoming the first African player to ever qualify for the main draw of the Women’s World Cup. Meanwhile, 2015 World Champion and Men’s World Cup Champion, MA Long continues to dominate the Men’s World Ranking for the 39th time in his career. 18 year old FAN Zhendong overtakes 2015 Mixed Double World Champion XU Xin to finish second in the world after claiming victory at the Polish Open, and taking the 2nd place on his Men’s World Cup debut in Halmstad. Runner-up at the Polish Open, Austria’s Stefan FEGERL also saw a major jump from no. 42 to no.23 after surprising reigning Olympics Champion ZHANG Jike in the semifinals to prevent an all-Chinese Final.