Ma Long interviews, matches and beyond

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According to Xinmin Evening News, during the past 8-month of recovery, Ma Long had to spend double time on rehabilitation compared to teammates. Bruises could be seen on his arm now and then. He wanted to play but could not play for the first several months, "As an athlete, I cannot stand staying in the room. I miss the excitements of battle on the court." After the withdrawal from Marvelous 12 trial, he joked with his physical coach in the gym while others were competing in the stadium, "I can be the Marvelous 13th." This time, the injuries gave Ma Long the biggest frustration in his career. "I love being a member of Team China and my current goal is to extend my career. I consider injuires this time as a test and a new experience."
Before Qatar Open, Coach Liu Guoliang and Qin Zhijian were worried that Ma Long gave himself too much pressure as he regarded this comeback tournament very important. Coach Liu Guoliang met with Ma Long and told him, "Don't expect perfection for the restart. Don't expect the feeling that the king comes back. If you can play 70% of your capacity, foreign players can hardly beat you, right? When you aim to play 70% of your capacity, maybe you can perform 80% to 90% out of it. But if you aim for too high, your mindset will be affected once you cannot reach the aim."
Before leaving for Qatar, the team went to watch Oscar best picture "Green Book". Ma Long said he liked the movie a lot and found it inspiring. He also switched to the old racket that won him the Olympic gold medal. A tough long way back, and here he came.
 
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He also switched to the old racket that won him the Olympic gold medal.
hence the dust off

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On Apr 3, Ma Long left Shenzhen for 2019 Asian Cup in Yokohama. This is his fifth attendance at Asian Cup. He claimed the title in previous four times: 2008 in Sapporo beating Chen Qi in the final, 2009 in Hangzhou beating Wang Hao, 2011 in Changsha beating Xu Xin and 2014 in Wuhan beating Fan Zhendong.
In interview with CCTV Sports, Ma Long said, "To attend both Qatar Open and Asian Cup, my goal was not to win the title but to find the feeling of tournament. I hope attending these two tournaments help me adjust the preparations for World Championships twenty days later."
 
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On Apr 5, Ma Long beat Tomokazu Harimoto by 3-1 (11:9, 6:11, 11:5, 11:8) to get revenge since their last encounter. Earlier the day he beat Achanta Sharath Kamal by 3-0 (11:5, 11:5, 11:5).
In the post-match interview, he said he was better prepared than 2018 Japan Open and such a victory in a tournament is more helpful than continious practice in the training.
After beating Lin Yun-Ju by 3-1 (11:5, 6:11, 11:5, 11:5), Ma Long proceeds to the knockout stage of 2019 Asian Cup as #1 of group B. He will play with the winner between Kirill Gerassimenko and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in the quarterfinal.
 
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On Apr 6, Ma Long beat Sathiyan Gnanasekaran by 4-1 (11:5, 11:5, 6:11, 11:6, 11:3) in the quarterfinal. Later the day he beat Koki Niwa by 4-0 (11:5, 11:6, 11:8, 11:6) in the semifinal and will meet Fan Zhendong in the final of 2019 Asian Cup on Apr 7.
Fun fact: within two weeks, Ma Long has played (or will play) with 3 out of 4 top-tier major rivals of Team China, the top 5 ranked left-handed players (Xu Xin, Lin Gaoyuan, Timo Boll, Koki Niwa and Jun Mizutani), and World Ranking #1-5.
 
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On Apr 7, Ma Long lost to Fan Zhendong by 2-4 (11:9, 10:12, 11:9, 7:11, 8:11, 10:12) in the final of 2019 Asian Cup.
Tomorrow Team China will leave for Austria to start another training camp in preparation for WTTC 2019.
It is intense to attend two consecutive tournaments and reach both finals in two weeks after 8 month inactivity due to injuries. We are glad to see Captain Long gradually picking up his form. Please take good rest and then get ready for World Championships!
 
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In the interview with CCTV Sports when leaving for Europe on Apr 8, Ma Long talked about his injury recovery and the goal for 2019 World Table Tennis Championships. Coach Liu Guoliang also commented on Ma Long's recent performance.
(Q: How is the recovery of your injuries?)
Ma Long: It is better than expected. It is quite intense to play two tournaments consecutively. It is good that I haven't experienced discomfort so far. The injuries are under control.
(Q: To what extent are your techniques recovered?)
Ma Long: I don't think it matters whether the techniques are recovered or not. You may still lose the match with fully recovered techniques. What matters to me is to get the focus back. In the past month of closed training in Shenzhen, actually I didn’t do a lot of technical training. I have been trying to catch up the team and get myself more composed and focused. That's important.
(Q: What percentage do you think is your current form compared to your prime?)
Ma Long: I don't know when my prime is.
(Q: The World Championships are about 10 days to go. What is your preparation plan?)
Ma Long: To take it step by step. In the first two days in Austria, I will take a break to refresh. I have attended World Championships for many times. However, every time my position in the team is different and my challenge is different. This time, I feel much relaxed. Because I am only #5 of Team China!
(Q: You will play men's singles and men's doubles this time. A routine question: What is your goal?)
Ma Long: I will cherish every victory. That's all.
(Q: Can you comment on Ma Long's recovery in these two tournaments?)
Liu Guoliang: After closed training and before Qatar Open, we told him to try to exert 70% of his capacity to find the rhythm of competition. As he reached the final of Qatar Open and turned around trailing 0-2, I think he got to 85% of his capacity. Asian Cup is a big challenge for him, not only because of injuries but also because of jet lag and travels. Three group matches in one day, and he reached the final against Fan Zhendong. Although he lost, I am glad to see that his body is rehabilitating, his confidence is building up, and he is finding rhythm of competition. He never loses the desire to win. This should be highly appreciated. As for him, he is never short of champions and high World Ranking. What matters more to him is the pursuit of excellence, the hunger for victory, and the national pride. I think Ma Long not only accomplishes himself but also boosts the morale of the team.
 
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Ma Long said he is feeling good training in Austria now. He took the first couple days to rest to recover from the tiredness after the two tournaments and adjust jetlag.
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Special equipment of Team China to bring to Europe? Nope, instant noodles and snacks
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China/Austria men's team vs China/Austria women's team one set showdown with women's team leading 1-3 point at crucial points! Out of 81 sets, men's team beat women's team by a small margin, 41:40.
Ma Long vs Liu Jia, 3 points down
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Ma Long vs Ding Ning, 2 points down
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Ma Long vs Liu Shiwen, 2 points down
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Ma Long vs Chen Meng, 2 points down
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Apr 16, Ma Long posted two photos visiting the same site in Austria and said, "12 years complete a cycle. Looking back, my heart will go on."
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