+ A
A -
Tribune News Network
Doha
China’s Ma Long popularly known as ‘The Dragon’, announced his return to the international scene in a six set comeback win against compatriot Lin Gaoyuan to win the Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open on Sunday. Long’s victory sees him tie Vladimir Samsonov on the all time record with 27 ITTF World Tour titles.
Absent from the international scene since August, the no.11 seed, recovered from a two games to nil deficit against the number two seed to secure the men’s singles title (9-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9). Long had beaten anothe Chinese and top seed Xu XIn in the semi-final on Saturday after losing the first set.
Having earlier succeeded in 2013, 2016 and 2017, he becomes the only player to have secured the title four times.
Furthermore, today’s victory in Doha comes exactly three weeks before the World Table Tennis Championships kick off in Budapest, the sport’s main event of the year which everyone had thought Ma Long would be missing. Doubts even surrounded his participation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
“In the context of my longstanding injury, to come back the way I have done, this is the happiest ITTF World Tour title victory of my career. Winning here provides the perfect boost ahead of next month’s World Championships and, of course, aids my long-term preparations for next year’s Olympic Games,” Long said.
In the women’s draw, it was a repeat of last year’s final as Wang Manyu beat defending champion Liu Shiwen. The no.4 seed closed out the game over the third seed in six games (11-3, 10-12, 12-10, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5).
“This win gives me a big confidence boost ahead of the World Championships. It proves to me that I have been working in the right way in recent weeks and months, while I still have some time to tweak other aspects of my game before heading to Budapest,” Wang said.
Success for Wang Manyu means that she collects her fifth ITTF World Tour women’s singles title; in 2017 she won in Austria in addition to last year on home soil in China as well as in Hungary and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, for Liu Shiwen it was her 28th ITTF World Tour women’s singles final, the 15th time the runner up.
Doha
China’s Ma Long popularly known as ‘The Dragon’, announced his return to the international scene in a six set comeback win against compatriot Lin Gaoyuan to win the Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open on Sunday. Long’s victory sees him tie Vladimir Samsonov on the all time record with 27 ITTF World Tour titles.
Absent from the international scene since August, the no.11 seed, recovered from a two games to nil deficit against the number two seed to secure the men’s singles title (9-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9). Long had beaten anothe Chinese and top seed Xu XIn in the semi-final on Saturday after losing the first set.
Having earlier succeeded in 2013, 2016 and 2017, he becomes the only player to have secured the title four times.
Furthermore, today’s victory in Doha comes exactly three weeks before the World Table Tennis Championships kick off in Budapest, the sport’s main event of the year which everyone had thought Ma Long would be missing. Doubts even surrounded his participation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
“In the context of my longstanding injury, to come back the way I have done, this is the happiest ITTF World Tour title victory of my career. Winning here provides the perfect boost ahead of next month’s World Championships and, of course, aids my long-term preparations for next year’s Olympic Games,” Long said.
In the women’s draw, it was a repeat of last year’s final as Wang Manyu beat defending champion Liu Shiwen. The no.4 seed closed out the game over the third seed in six games (11-3, 10-12, 12-10, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5).
“This win gives me a big confidence boost ahead of the World Championships. It proves to me that I have been working in the right way in recent weeks and months, while I still have some time to tweak other aspects of my game before heading to Budapest,” Wang said.
Success for Wang Manyu means that she collects her fifth ITTF World Tour women’s singles title; in 2017 she won in Austria in addition to last year on home soil in China as well as in Hungary and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, for Liu Shiwen it was her 28th ITTF World Tour women’s singles final, the 15th time the runner up.
