Home » Sports » Table Tennis
Ma edges Wang for world spot
Source: Xinhua |
May 14, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THREE-TIME world champion Wang Liqin will miss the world team championships for the first time since 1997 after losing to Ma Lin in a nationally televised shootout to decide the last place on China's team.
Olympic champion Ma Lin put aside his marital problems to win the battle of the world's two most successful active players 3-1 in Beilun on Wednesday evening, clinching the fifth ticket to the May 23-30 championships in Moscow.
Wang was disappointed to miss out for the first time since his debut in Manchester 13 years ago but said he would redouble his efforts to clinch the men's singles gold at the London Olympics and complete his career collection of titles.
"It's just one game, one edition of the world team championships and definitely not the end of the world," the 31-year-old said. "Today's loss could benefit me if I learned anything from it.
"No one should rest on the past achievement since everybody else is making progress every day, so I have to push myself forward even more harshly."
World no. 4 Ma joins Wang Hao (2), Ma Long (1), Zhang Jike (4) and Xu Xin (7) in a China squad expected to win a fifth straight title at the 50th version of the biennial championships.
The 30-year-old, whose form has dipped during a protracted divorce from a woman he claims he did not know he had married, paid tribute to his close friend.
"It's the rivalry between Wang and me that has motivated both of us to work hard for over ten years," he said.
Olympic champion Ma Lin put aside his marital problems to win the battle of the world's two most successful active players 3-1 in Beilun on Wednesday evening, clinching the fifth ticket to the May 23-30 championships in Moscow.
Wang was disappointed to miss out for the first time since his debut in Manchester 13 years ago but said he would redouble his efforts to clinch the men's singles gold at the London Olympics and complete his career collection of titles.
"It's just one game, one edition of the world team championships and definitely not the end of the world," the 31-year-old said. "Today's loss could benefit me if I learned anything from it.
"No one should rest on the past achievement since everybody else is making progress every day, so I have to push myself forward even more harshly."
World no. 4 Ma joins Wang Hao (2), Ma Long (1), Zhang Jike (4) and Xu Xin (7) in a China squad expected to win a fifth straight title at the 50th version of the biennial championships.
The 30-year-old, whose form has dipped during a protracted divorce from a woman he claims he did not know he had married, paid tribute to his close friend.
"It's the rivalry between Wang and me that has motivated both of us to work hard for over ten years," he said.
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