it's no secret that ma long has the upper-hand against zhang jike now. Zhang jike knows it, ma long knows it, zhang jike fans and ma long fans know it, even chinese coaches and media know it. That's why every time when the two meet each other in a game, the question in every body's mind is always:"can zhang jike beat ma long this time?" just like every time when it's wc or wttc, the question in people's mind is always:" can ma long win it this time?"
zhang jike himself even admitted in a 2010 tv interview that he had no confidence when facing ma long, and he's even "afraid of ma long". I don't know whether he is still "afraid of ma long", but based on the recent records, he still has not found ways to beat ma long convincingly or consistently, which does not help with his confidence against ma long at all. But, zhang jike has always looked at wins and losses in a perspective. As he said in an interview with ittf reporter in 2011 pro tour grand finals after beating wang liqin in the quarter final:" i think as a player, you have to constantly struggle between wins and losses. If i lose to an opponent last time, i will try all i can and give all i have to win against him this time. I think that's what makes the competitive sports such a joy."
that being said, i don't think people should put down zhang jike just because he has poor records against ma long. Also, people should not put down ma long just because he has not won a wttc. They are great players in their own right and in their own way. As table tennis fans, we should be glad that we have them both because competitive sports need competitors. It's not a one man show. We need two players who can compete with each other at the same level for a game to be exciting. Don't we all want to see a ma long vs zhang jike showdown like 2011 austrian open final or 2012 slovenian open final? Competition is good for the sports, and it's good for players because it would force them to improve themselves.
By the way, ma long and zhang jike are rivals on court but friends off court.
Zhang jike and ma long in 2003
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