Let's play a game: Name a player and list their best matches

[anchorschmidt]

I think many here watch a lot of table tennis games and it would be great to see matches in this way that perhaps others would have missed. You can post any player, past or present. Repeating a player is allowed as well as I'm sure many will repeat the major ones.

I'll leave Ma Long and Zhang Jike to the others

1. Jan-Ove Waldner: I'm sure he would have played even better in older matches but they are hard to find in good quality. Apart from the match in 1997, it's just great to see Waldner's cleverness in the later matches.

• vs Samonov 1997 WTTC Just a display of dominance. Samsonov had beaten 4 Chinese players on his way to the finals and had beaten Waldner 3-0 a few weeks earlier.
• vs Ma Lin in the 2004 Olympics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbAKPbkGh9M Very very impressive, especially considering his age.
• vs Liu Guoliang 2000 WTTC . Shows the mental strength of JOW.
• vs Kong Linghui 2000 Olympics : It took the entire CNT supporting and coaching Kong Linghui to stop Waldner in the finals of the Olympics.
• vs Timo Boll 2004 Olympics: Though not interesting, Waldner just takes Boll's game apart here.
• Bonus: vs Fabian Ackerstrom in 2013. Ackerstrom was the Swedish champion and had taken Ovtcharov to the deciding set in the 2012 WTTTC. However, his spin variations have NO effect on JOW.
• Bonus : vs Ma Long in 2009 Energis Masters. Holds set point for a 5th and deciding match against Ma Long, who was nr. 2 in the world at that time after Wang Hao. Many ferocious attacks are blocked right past Ma Long.

2. Timo Boll:

• vs Wang Hao 2005 World Cup
• vs Xu Xin 2011
• vs Ma Lin 2006 WTTTC
• vs Ma Lin 2009
• vs Zhang Jike 2014 World Cup
• vs Zhang Jike 2011

3. Xu Xin

• Take your pick of any Xu Xin vs Fan Zhendong clash. They're all great.
• Grand Finals 2013 vs Ma Long Xu Xin plays like a god here. Most impressive performance by him that I have seen.
• vs Timo Boll 2009 Qatar Open Boll had beaten ZJK in the previous match but Xu Xin had every answer to Boll's game here.

 

[Suga D]

Wow. Great Idea.
This is way better than argueing.

Well, one of my all time favourites is the Pro Tour Grand Final 2013 between Ma Long and Xu Xin. I can watch this match over and over. (But i could only find the short version. If someone got the link to the full match feel free to correct me)

Ma Long's Block at 1:58
Xu Xin fine touch sidespin at 4:08
Ma Long's Block at 6:40

One of the classic matches i love to watch is between Jan Ove Waldner and Mikael Appelgren from 1982.
Those two weren't that much older than me, but they were lightyears away from my playing level. (I just started playing a couple of months earlier).
They were so good and i could hardly hold a racket properly...

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

One of my all time favorite matches: Kong Linghui vs Joo Se Hyuk 2003 China Open Finals:

I could pick either player and I would say this match.

 

[sebas-aguirre]

Wow. Great Idea.
This is way better than argueing.

Well, one of my all time favourites is the Pro Tour Grand Final 2013 between Ma Long and Xu Xin. I can watch this match over and over. (But i could only find the short version. If someone got the link to the full match feel free to correct me)

Ma Long's Block at 1:58
Xu Xin fine touch sidespin at 4:08
Ma Long's Block at 6:40

One of the classic matches i love to watch is between Jan Ove Waldner and Mikael Appelgren from 1982.
Those two weren't that much older than me, but they were lightyears away from my playing level. (I just started playing a couple of months earlier).
They were so good and i could hardly hold a racket properly...

wow the difference in speed and spin is so big.

 

[henrybrown]

My favourite match ever
Austrian Open 2011: Ma Long vs Zhang Jike

Both players played amazing!

 

[anchorschmidt]

Wow. Great Idea.
This is way better than argueing.

Well, one of my all time favourites is the Pro Tour Grand Final 2013 between Ma Long and Xu Xin. I can watch this match over and over. (But i could only find the short version. If someone got the link to the full match feel free to correct me)

Ma Long's Block at 1:58
Xu Xin fine touch sidespin at 4:08
Ma Long's Block at 6:40

Haha, I meant to post the exact same match for Xu Xin but accidentally posted another one. Here is the full match

 

[anchorschmidt]

My favourite match ever
Austrian Open 2011: Ma Long vs Zhang Jike

Both players played amazing!

Everything was great about that match. From the sleepy Zhang Jike who woke up after the first set to the nerve-wracking 7th set between both of them. It also makes me miss the half-distance play with the older ball. The commentator with the thick austrian accent was also great. Even better if you understand German. JAAANG JEEKE!