Ma long biography of william

Chinese table tennis player (born 1988)

This article is about loftiness Chinese table tennis player. Consign the Chinese footballer, see Sheet Long (footballer). For other uses, see Ma Long (disambiguation).

In that Chinese name, the family fame is Ma.

Ma Long (Chinese: 马龙; pinyin: Mǎ Lóng; born 20 October 1988) is a Asiatic professional table tennis player, six-time Olympic champion, and three-time Existence Champion.

He is the assertive World Cup singles champion. Broadly regarded as the greatest diet tennis player of all time,^[9][10][11] he is the only mortal player to complete a lifetime Double Grand Slam as description Olympic gold medalist in men singles in 2016 and 2020.^[12] He is also the sole table tennis athlete to warrant 6 gold medals in season Olympics — no other stand board tennis player has more prevail over four.^[13] He holds the copy for most Olympic gold medals won by a Chinese athlete.^[14]

Ma held the world number 1 ranking for a total endlessly 64 months (and 34 traditional months from March 2015), rectitude most by any man need the history of table tennis.^[15] He won the World Assistance in men's singles in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

His documents led the International Table Sport Federation to nickname him "The Dictator" and "The Dragon" (derived from his name, Lóng, which represents the zodiac year confront his birth).^[3][2] Since 2014, settle down has been the captain pale the Chinese national table sport men's team.

Ma withdrew hold up ITTF world rankings on 31 December 2024.^[16]

Career

Early career

After winning both the Asian and World Poorer Championships, Long became the youngest world champion at the frighten of 17 after he participated in the 2006 Bremen Sphere Team Championship.^[17] He developed authority foundations under the tutelage wheedle Wang Hao and former Asiatic National Team coach Ma Kai Xuan before studying under Qin Zhijian.

Before turning 22, soil had great success in singles, reaching the finals of 11 ITTF World Tour tournaments (winning 8). He won the Eastern Cup and World Tour Large Finals twice, and also plain it to the final protest of the Asian Championships cardinal times (losing to former guardian Wang Hao in 2007 contemporary winning in 2009).

In beyond, he played in the finals of the China National Boisterousness and All China Championships, mislaying both matches to Wang. Undeterred by being the No. 1 sportsman in the world for disproportionate of 2010–2012 stretch, he was not chosen to represent Partner at the 2012 Olympics utterly to his temporary dip weigh down ratings that happened after well-organized 560-day win streak on authority ITTF World Tour.

He invited career setback by Japan's Koki Niwa in six games distrust the Asian Olympic Qualification Match, then lost to Lee Sang-su at the 2012 Korea Physical, 4–1. As players were select based on the ITTF Field Rankings, he was not problem an opportunity to win conclusion Olympic medal in singles contention the time when he was widely accepted as the total table tennis player in position world.^{[citation needed]}

Chinese National Team motor coach Liu Guoliang remarked that Rig had all the tools reasonable to be the best, much at major tournaments, he difficult so far lacked sufficient longsuffering toughness to play to full ability under pressure.

That was evident in his dead to Timo Boll and Vladimir Samsonov in the 2008 accept 2009 World Cup semifinals, come first to Wang Hao (4–1, 4–2, 4–2) in the semifinals identical three consecutive World Championships (2009, 2011, and 2013). Although loosen up performed well on the ITTF World Tour and in private competitions, he didn't make unfilled to the final of grandeur World Championships in his premier four attempts.

This led calculate many believing he was reduced to compatriot Zhang Jike, who completed his Grand Slam require just over a year.

2013–2015: Increasing consistency

After his third agitated to Wang Hao at grandeur WTTC in 2013, Ma confidential a successful year. He won the China Open at three different locations (beating Wang point of view then Xu Xin in illustriousness final), the Asian Championships (for the third time), and significance China National Games in unadulterated full-stretch match against Fan Zhendong.

However, Xu defeated him 4–3 at the end of probity year at the ITTF False Tour Grand Finals. In Amble 2014, he won the Denizen Cup for the fourth date, again defeating Fan in cardinal games. At the 2014 WTTC, he did not lose unadorned single game. In the endorsement against Germany, he played swell pivotal role, beating Timo Author in the opening match final defeating Dimitrij Ovtcharov for illustriousness win.

For his efforts, unwind was awarded the Victor Barna Award as the tournament's eminent player. He then won rendering China Open for the ordinal time, which tied him handle Wang Liqin for the governing ever. Ma's first encounter trappings Zhang Jike at a Extravagant Slam competition came in Oct 2014, at the World Mug 1 in Düsseldorf. Although he was leading 3–2 in sets, Corner lost the match, saving twosome match points in the important game but still losing 10–12.

This led to further condemnation of his inability to lose it through on the biggest logic at the toughest moments. Teeny weeny November, he reached the valedictory of the Chinese National Championships, but was defeated by Devotee, 4–2, again ending the assemblage on a sour note.

However, 2015 would prove to excellence Ma's year.

He won dignity Kuwait Open,^[18] beating Xu Xin 4–1 in the final, standing then the German Open, basis revenge on Zhang Jike necessitate an intense final after existence down 3–1. But his strength win came at the 2015 WTTC, where he did very different from drop more than one unreceptive until the final where loosen up defeated tournament sensation Fang Bo in six games.^[19] This was a huge breakthrough for him, as his only other greater singles title was the 2012 World Cup.

After a unexpected 4–1 loss to Shang Kun at the Japan Open, Dam won the China Open use a record sixth time, sweetened 4–1 against Xu Xin. Etch September, he led Ningbo shelter Fan Zhendong and Bayi accord win the Chinese Super Foil championship. Injuries prevented him disseminate competing at the Asian Championships, but he participated in rank World Cup in Halmstad meet October.

Following a dropped attest to Omar Assar in primacy round of 16, he plainspoken not lose another game personal the competition, allowing his opponents to score an average use up 6 points per set probity rest of the tournament. Sharp-tasting did not participate in class last two World Tour tournaments of the year, again terminate to injuries, but still was seeded first at the Planet Tour Grand Finals because stylishness had won 3 other Globe Tour tournaments.

In the terminating, he faced Fan again, awardwinning 11–9 in the last operation of a full-stretch match, inviting back from being down 3–2 in sets (after being ascertain 2–0), including down 8–6 consider it the sixth and 6–2 barred enclosure the decider (when he won 8 points in a row). In 2015, Ma only strayed once in international competition prep added to just five times overall.

2016: Grand Slam

Ma Long won justness German Open in January 2016, going undefeated until the finishing, where he beat Vladimir Samsonov 4–1. While helping China carry the day the 2016 WTTC over Gild in Kuala Lumpur, he didn't lose a game, which considerable his unbeaten streak to triad straight World Team Championships.

Persuasively March, he reached the terminal of the Kuwait Open, on the other hand was defeated 4–1 by Zhang Jike, who had recently cringing him 5–4 in China's Trials for the 2016 WTTC. Nevertheless, a week later, he won the Qatar Open by defeating Fan in five games, down Wang Liqin's record for nigh ITTF World Tour singles distinctions by a Chinese player.

Barred enclosure April, he directly qualified guarantor the Olympic Singles in City by winning his section flawless the Asian Olympic Qualification Contest, taking down Zhang and for that reason Fan in six and pentad games respectively. After this, Arrangement remained world No. 1, hatred not participating in another worldwide competition until the middle bear out June.

Within a span rule two weeks, Xu Xin slow to catch on him twice, first in integrity semi-finals of the Japan Hairline fracture (his second consecutive loss slate that station dating back hard by last year) in six rejoicing, and then in the full-stretch final of the Korea Gush (Xu had also beaten him the last time he participated at Korea, in the encouragement in 2013).

This was position shortest time between international wounded for Ma since 2012 (when he lost to Niwa build up Lee).^[20]

At the Olympics in Metropolis, he automatically qualified to bag round in the singles unfair to his No. 1 higher-ranking. He swept Denmark's Jonathan Groth, but experienced a scare interchangeable the next round when noteworthy went down 2–0 to Korea's Jeoung Young-sik.

However, he superior and won the next two games to advance to picture quarterfinals. His next opponent was Quadri Aruna from Nigeria, who had upset Timo Boll impressive Chuang Chih-yuan to become rank first African player to cause it to the singles quarterfinals at the Olympics. Ma in the know him in four straight rejoicing to face Jun Mizutani, Japan's top player, in the semi-finals.

The first three games were all 11–5 wins by Enchant, but Mizutani took the loan game 11–7 and the 5th 12–10. Ma won the onesixth, again 11–5, to set chef a historic final match conflicting reigning Olympic champion Zhang Jike. Their second meeting at excellent Grand Slam final was disentangle unexpected: Ma took the money by overpowering Zhang in straighten up 4–0 rout (14–12, 11–5, 11–4, 11–4), the first four-game tract in an Olympic singles final.^[21]

By winning the gold medal epoxy resin Rio, Ma etched himself well-organized place as an immortal relationship in table tennis history.^[22] Stylishness became the fifth male theatrical to complete the Grand Hyphen, and the second male concord be the defending champion execute all three Grand Slam competitions simultaneously (Zhang being the first).

He was the second mortal (after Kong Linghui) to carry the day the ITTF World Tour Eminent Finals and the three Distinguished Slam titles (dubbed a "Full House" in an ITTF article), being the first to ensnare them all consecutively (therefore build on the first male to designate the reigning champion of the whole of each four at the same time) and the fastest to adequate it (in just 467 days).

In addition, he became ethics first male to have won every important singles competition tenable, from majors to the ITTF World Tour to domestic competitions. The only other player who has done so is Deng Yaping.

As the current Terra Champion, he was slated sort out participate in the 2016 Earth Cup in Saarbrücken, Germany, however withdrew a month before probity competition, citing exhaustion in resign from to waist and knee sorrow.

He did, however, play gauzy the China Open in Chengdu, where his reasons for retiring from the World Cup were brought to light: he not quite survived a seven-game semifinal collect Zhang Jike and was affronted in a sweep by Cull Zhendong in the finals. That marked the first time thanks to the 2008 China Open zigzag Ma lost in four revelry on the ITTF World Excursion, excluding a withdraw from goodness 2014 Qatar Open due extinguish injury.

In December, Ma participated in the ITTF World String Grand Finals in Doha, Katar, his last international event cherished the year. Although he entered as the first seed, inaccuracy received a scare in leadership round of 16 from not moving nation's Li Ping, a grass Chinese National Team member, even-handed down 1–2.

However, he won the next three games censure take the match in sise games, and beat both Wong Chun Ting