Ma Long for Grand Slam Champion?

TableTennisDaily · May 3, 2015

Hi everyone!

What a weeks table tennis! I hope everyone enjoyed the TableTennisDaily coverage of the event! Thanks for everyone who took part in the discussions.

Ma Long's extraordinary performance and persistence has got me thinking. With the Rio 2016 Olympics just around the corner, could Ma Long go on to be a grand slam winner now he has that world title?

When Zhang Jike won the WTTC in 2011 he went on to win the world cup later that year and then finally winning the London 2012 Olympics making him the first player in history to win all three competitions simultaneously.

Could Ma Long match this record? Ma Long would need to win the World Cup later this year in Sweden (October) and then the gold medal in Rio 2016.

So Ma Long fans will he achieve this?

TTFrenzy · May 3, 2015

Its really tough to tell, in Rio FZD will be even more mature, Fang Bo is ready to kill them all and of course ML an ZJK are still the best in terms of experience in my eyes. I believe that LGL will not include FZD for Rio he is too young and will have even more opportunities in the future, even for a double grand slam. Im curious to see what will happen to XX he participated in all three events clinching gold in two but lost to FB.

I dont want to sound harsh, but I think XX's strokes and footwork need refining, the way he plays he stands no chance against players with smaller motion and more explosiveness like the above 4. Even shibaev exposed his weaknesses from FH to BH and vice versa. Fact is if you can put an active block on his first loop he is under pressure because of his own strokes

anchorschmidt · May 3, 2015

If Fang Bo or Patrick Franziska continue to improve at this rate, no chance

In all seriousness, barring injuries affecting World Ranking/form, I think he's a safe bet for reaching the finals of the Olympics. Whether he wins that is not that easy to say if he's facing ZJK, otherwise he has a pretty good chance.

mahomedy13 · May 4, 2015

I think he has a huge chance to become a grandslam champion.

swayamsd · May 4, 2015

I think Xu Xin is going to defeat Ma.

mahomedy13 · May 4, 2015

swayamsd said:
I think Xu Xin is going to defeat Ma.

I don't think so.BTW,any idea what their head to head score is?

UpSideDownCarl · May 4, 2015

I think, now that Ma Long is a World Champion, the competition between him and Zhang Jike may get even better. It would be great to see an Olympic Gold Medal Match between Ma Long and Zhang Jike. But, by then some of the younger guys may catch up to those two.

By they way, Liu Gouliang does not choose who goes to the Olympics. Olympic trials determines the first two players and World Ranking determines the player who gets to team after a country has two players qualified for singles.

The first qualified player is the first one qualified for singles. The second is the #2 qualified for singles. Nobody else can play singles. And The only way LGL could determine who is by not sending other players. But I believe he will at least send his top 4 to try and qualify. Then it is warrior rules. If you qualify you are in.

TareqPhoto · May 4, 2015

And by this determination, if Ma Long and Xu Xin qualified for singles only then it is like 99-100% it will be one of them for Gold, and if things goes fine then even the other will have the silver, so if Ma Long does his hard work training and winning it will not be difficult for him to qualify with another one then it will be between them 2 only who will win the Olympics gold medal in the final, less stress than another titles where more Chinese players are in[volved].

raazzz · May 4, 2015

mahomedy13 said:
I don't think so.BTW,any idea what their head to head score is?

Oh I wan't to know that to! Is it just me who would like a own topic where we can compile to all the pros head to head scores? Or does someone have a good list of this?

mahomedy13 · May 4, 2015

raazzz said:
Oh I wan't to know that to! Is it just me who would like a own topic where we can compile to all the pros head to head scores? Or does someone have a good list of this?

I have not come across any as yet,but I will see what I can do.

TT4Life · May 4, 2015

He already thinking about it as soon as it WTTC was over

. Beast mode from here on out lolz

raazzz · May 4, 2015

mahomedy13 said:
I have not come across any as yet,but I will see what I can do.

Sounds good!

mahomedy13 · May 4, 2015

raazzz said:
Sounds good!

http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?10441-Head-to-Head-Scores&p=111288#post111288

megaexception · May 4, 2015

raazzz said:
Oh I wan't to know that to! Is it just me who would like a own topic where we can compile to all the pros head to head scores? Or does someone have a good list of this?

On international arena, Ma Long has 14 wins, Xu Xin has 6 wins (total 20 encounters).
Actualy ITTF site allows to view this statistics: http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf2.asp?category=head_to_head1

mahomedy13 · May 4, 2015

megaexception said:
On international arena, Ma Long has 14 wins, Xu Xin has 6 wins (total 20 encounters).
Actualy ITTF site allows to view this statistics: http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf2.asp?category=head_to_head1

i have created a summary in the above link.it saves time when checking

Amayzde · May 4, 2015

As long as Ma Long keeps his nerves togetter nobody can challenge him

Matt Hetherington · May 5, 2015

This is a huge confidence booster for him, he knows that he can do it now. Before perhaps he was questioning whether he had the mental stability to win a major event like Worlds or Olympics. He was dominant at WTTC, no doubt about it. He peaked at the exact right time and had a determination to see it through.

If we see this same Ma Long or a better Ma Long at the next Olympics then I think we will have another Grand Slam Champion to celebrate and I think he deserves it, he's been at the top long enough and for a long time he really was a head above the rest until Zhang Jike started stepping it up. I would love to see Ma Long achieve it for sure. I think as generations pass we will probably see more and more Grand Slam Champions emerging potentially too.

Ma Long for Grand Slam Champion?

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