Ma Long is great. His total game is way up there.
But there are really quite a few instances of amazing forehands.
Ma Lin had some crazy FH shots as well.
And we might as well look at this from a historical perspective. Traditionally CNT is known for Penhold players with strong attacking FHs and a style where they use that powerful FH to overpower their opponents.
When Sweden came along and ended CNT dominance for a period in the late 1980s through the mid 1990s CNT did something previously unheard of. They sent a player to Sweden to train and learn the style that was dominating them.
That player was Kong Linghui: the first shakehand two winged looper on the CNT. At least as far as I am aware.
Here: one of my favorite matches ever:
Wang Liqin was the next evolution of the two winged looper playing shakehand with that crazy almost penhold style FH.
I am going to say that Wang Liqin's FH is, perhaps, the best SHAKEHAND FH so far. Power, consistency and versatility. The guy kept pounding away and did not miss. He beat his opponents into submission with that amazing FH. But his game was not as complete as Ma Long's. There are many-many things that Ma Long does better than Wang Liqin. But WL was an innovator. Nobody really did what he did when he came out. And the groundwork was laid for that innovation by Kong.
ZJK was actually a break from that FH dominant style player on the CNT. His innovation was having a BH that could control the points, the rallies, and subdue the power of a player who wanted to turn to the FH from the BH side. FZD, I have a feeling, will end up being a natural progression from that when he fully comes into his own.
And Ma Long is clearly a progression from WLiqin. But not because the FH is better but because of how WELL he does EVERYTHING.
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