2012 Men's World Cup Final: Ma Long v Timo Boll

The player in red has dominated European table tennis, five times European champion. He's 31 years of age and he's currently ranked number seven, having been number one for significant spells of time and his opponent there stood next to him in black, none other than Ma Long, currently ranked number two in the world and 23 years of age. Timo Boll takes his bow to the crowd as he's introduced by the MC and now it's the turn of Ma Long, has played quite superbly, worth pointing out that he lost in his group to Chuang Chi-Yuan 4-0 and then he responded by beating Great Britain's Paul Drinkel 4-4, 3-1, Michael Mays the great player from Denmark 4-5, 7-7 and then he beat teammate Xu Xin 4-4, 4-10. That's the way to come back after defeat and so the players have shaken hands, they've shaken hands with the officials and there's the trophy that they're playing for and indeed a significant check that goes along with it. Last-minute preparations taking place as of wisdom from the coaches, there'll have already been lots of discussions about the tactics, the players now will make their way to the table, a two-minute pre-final practice, just grooving in the shots, Georg Roscoff still has words of wisdom to pass on and why shouldn't he, he's won this competition himself, former European champion, former world champion in men's doubles, a title he won back in 1989 in Dortmund and so delighted to say once again I'm joined by Ian Marshall, Ian of course a former England coach and now the media guru for the International Table Tennis Federation, I think the stage is set for a great final Ian. Well exactly, if we look back in previous men's world cup in 2008 semi-finals, Timo Boll beat Ma Long and then the following year, the quarter-final stage, Ma Long beat Timo Boll, so in this competition in particular it is 1-1 and then if we look back two years to Moscow to the final of the men's team event at the League of World Championships, China beat Germany 4-1 and the one winner for the German team was Timo Boll, he beat Ma Long, should I say 3-1 was the end result, but the way that Ma Long played this morning against Xu Xin at the semi-final stage was quite incredible and equally Timo Boll after a slow start against Vladimir Samsonov became much more active, much more positive, timing the ball earlier, attacking more quickly from the third game onwards and posted four games for two wins, so both players semi-final stage have shown outstanding form and at the moment if there's one player who is threatening the mighty Chinese from Europe it is Timo Boll, he has the wins over the great Chinese players, the question is can he produce it today on the stage of the League of Men's World Cup, both attacking players of course the obvious difference Ma Long being right-handed, Timo Boll left-handed, but if you note the forehands quite different, the very quick action, lots of rotation on the ball from Timo Boll, Ma Long very safe from the backhand, very secure, but a mighty, mighty powerful forehand, one of the most powerful in the world and once he's let loose, once he gets an advantage, it's very, very difficult to stop Ma Long, the Richard H Swarm at Liaoning in northern China, the home of so many great players, the home of the present Olympic women's champion Li Xiaoxiao, and of course we first saw Ma Long back in 2003 in the world junior championship, and then one year later in 2004 when the event was held in Kobe, Japan, Ma Long was crowned world junior champion, and now all pre-match formalities complete, the players are ready to start, and it is the player in the red shirt, Timo Boll from Germany, who will serve at the start of the first game, as in all matches during this World Cup, it's the best of seven games, each game to 11 points, of course Timo Boll has been in this final on two previous occasions, and in 2008 he lost to Wang Hao, so he'll be hoping to keep his wins a little bit higher, if he can pull off a victory here, the commentator has just pointed out an error, and of course he's absolutely right, when I do check the records, Timo Boll also won in 2005, so he's been in the final three times, he's won it twice, can he win it a third time Ian? Well possibly, you mentioned 2005 in Liège, that was the day that quarter-final, he beat Wang Liqin, at semi-final he beat Ma Long, in the final he beat Wang Hao, the three elite players at the time of Chinese table tennis, it was a remarkable performance in the Belgian city, so the answer is, if you can beat them once, you can do it again. That's a great return of serve from Ma Long, clearly in a very positive frame of mind, looking to take the initiative, the reverse action service from Boll, but look at that backhand topspin return from Ma Long, from the backhand side of the table, there he goes, he steps round, he takes the ball as it's rising, gives his opponent very little time, three points each, well the vocal reaction of Ma Long, I think just shows how well he's prepared for this match, that mighty forehand just repeats time and time again, brave block there from Boll, put it back into Ma Long's forehand, I think Ma Long was expecting to be playing from the backhand side of the table, slight hesitation, but it was sufficient for him to mistime the forehand topspin, it caught the leading edge of the racket, flew off the end of the table, Ma Long gets in with the topspin, it's just like a machine, one topspin after another, backhand forehand, he doesn't miss, he sprays it around the table, and you can see he's certainly pumped up, machine, I think machine gunned on, good table tennis there, there was a chop block that was quite ridiculous, and then Boll just trying to get the ball around the net, he wasn't far off, it caught the net post, but after the first 10 points, it's Ma Long with a 6-4 lead, and indeed Ma Long with his two serves to come, playing the forehand from the backhand side of the table, plays it down the line, that's the more difficult of the two lines to play, there it goes, Boll had guessed, hoped that it was coming to his forehand, Ma Long winning the tactical battle, and then the heavy backspin service, fast accelerating wrist, brushing underneath the ball, heavy backspin, and that backspin biting into the rubber and sponge, and Timo Boll pushing it into the net, and I think you highlighted the point with the forehand, once he's into that rhythm with the forehand, well it's like trying to stop a juggernaut, just a mistake from Timo Boll, perhaps just rushing that forehand topspin a fraction, but of course he's under immense pressure from Ma Long, so six game points for the Chinese player, and there it is, at the first time of asking, Ma Long wins the first game, 11 points to four, can Timo Boll stop the juggernaut, Ian? Once he's into a rhythm, once he plays that forehand early in the rally, it is very, very difficult to do, maybe Timo Boll just has to take one or two risks, and take a chance, but at the moment Ma Long looks to be in peak form, having two days ago the situation being the exact opposite, and I think there Roscoff is maybe saying, well from the backhand you've got to use the angles, but the speed at which Ma Long is playing is quite incredible, not just the speed at which he's moving, but the speed at which he executes the first attack, he's giving Timo Boll absolutely minimal time to react, topspin strokes at the peak of the bounce, okay there we see a mistake, but it's the speed at which he's attacking that is causing Timo Boll an absolute host of problems, I feel often the European players just time the topspin that fraction later than the Chinese players, and I think there's the the telling factor in that first game. The players now have spent two minutes in their corners with their coaches taking on board words of wisdom, and they're now ready to start the second game, Ma Long to serve. Again the backspin, Timo Boll did lift, just not quite enough, it just caught the top of the net, flew off the end of the table, first point to China. Timo Boll, there's a very good backhand topspin, good tactics by Ma Long going straight down the line, Timo Boll was in fact going to step around the backhand to play his forehand, but unfortunately from Ma Long's point of view, just missed the edge of the table, and it never misses. It's great entertainment, great sport. Now there's an aspect of Ma Long's play that over the last two or three years, or particularly even more recently, has certainly improved. The ability to return the serve positively with the backhand when the service is short, so that's a feature of Ma Long's play which has improved. Always he's had this very powerful forehand. A clever serve, the long fast serve straight down the line into the backhand of Boll. Boll reacted well, but he didn't quite get enough speed and spin on the backhand topspin, and straight away Ma Long in with that powerful forehand topspin that we keep referring to. 4-1, second serve coming up. This time it's the rocket backhand topspin on the diagonal out wide to Timo Boll's forehand, and it looks as though Timo Boll is going to have to really dig on all his reserves and probably take a few high risks, go for some what normally would be considered high risk shots because he's nothing to lose. But you can just tell how pumped up for this match Ma Long is by the vocals when he wins the point. He's come out here totally utterly prepared. From Boll, forced Ma Long away from the table, kept him there. Ma Long throwing that one up into the lights, not a million miles away, but point to Timo Boll. There's a very spinny backhand topspin brushed up the back of the ball, just watch the technique. The ball fizzing with topspin and Ma Long now leading 6-3. He's anticipating and reacting so quickly is Ma Long. There's good tossing from Timo Boll, look how quickly Ma Long's reacted. And just look at the reaction with that left clenched fist. Not only has he got amazing power backhand and forehand but he's also got incredible touch as well. He touches that back very delicately over the net and Ma Long 8-3. Again the reactions were quite incredible, that was a good topspin by Timo Boll but Ma Long somehow reacts and look at that block, superbly placed into the body of Timo Boll. 9-3 China lead. He's serious Qin Zijian and he will have had words with Ma Long, make no mistake about it, before this match he'll have him totally prepared. Having won the first game 11-4, Ma Long now leads 10-3. Can anybody stop this man? There it is, he seals the second game at the first opportunity. Winning by 11 points to three and the gentleman playing in the black shirt looks as though he's unstoppable. Well immensely impressive from Ma Long. He's come out here, he's ready for the battle, he's been well prepared by his coach Qin Zijian who himself was a fine, fine table tennis player. He was a left-handed penhold grip player in the traditional mode and particularly strong in doubles. Outstanding player in his own right Qin Zijian and he's been working now for some three, four years as one of the national coaches in Beijing and that is an absolutely mighty, mighty training centre in China's capital city. One floor for administration, one floor for physio, one floor for women's practice, one floor for the men's team and everything set out to international standards. Some 30 men and 30 women all training at that centre and one of the major reasons why China is supreme in the sport of table tennis. Ma Long, he's ready to start the third game and it's Timo Boll who will serve at the start. Good start by Boll, looks as though he's determined to get in behind the serve, get in with the first strong top spin, it's the only chance he has for the good fortune but it is a 2-0 lead for Timo Boll and the gentleman on screen Jörg Roscoff will be very pleased with the start, not necessarily pleased with the first two games, 11-4, 11-3 but he'll be delighted to see Timo Boll win the first two points of this third game. But Ma Long, what a response, hits that backhand, hits straight through the ball, almost punches the ball on the diagonal out wide to Timo Boll's forehand, tactics were good from Timo Boll, he was trying to flip the ball out wide to Ma Long's forehand but he's trying to get a very severe angle, he's doing that because he's under pressure, he knows if he doesn't he loses the point. Well I detect a rather more active, more positive Timo Boll at the start of this third game and very much a mirror of what in fact we saw in the semi-final against Vladimir Samsonov when the advice from Jörg Roscoff most certainly at the start of the third game was you must be more active, more positive and certainly we've seen that here from Timo Boll, tremendous backhand topspin across the diagonal. Now we know Timo Boll for the fierce first forehand topspin but my word that was some backhand. He leads 4-2, somebody has to find a way to return service and stop Ma Long attacking with the forehand. The backhand from Ma Long is very safe these days and it's the rotation that he's putting on the ball which is causing Timo Boll the problem and that's often the case. If the ball is played fast and hard then the block is a reaction block, if to spin on the ball you have to guess the angle of the racket. Oh tremendous backhand again from Timo Boll. From a German, from a European perspective this is more like it, you can't possibly be in any shape or form passive against Ma Long. The reverse service action from Boll, the racket going away from the body and then again Boll's in behind the serve, dominates the rally and leads by six points to three. Exactly what was needed, a more active Timo Boll in this third game and that's exactly what we're getting. Ma Long a little bit fortunate, acknowledges his good fortune, raising his hand. A few cries of Timo from the crowd, they'd love to see Boll come back, he's doing his best out there after the first 10 points, leads 6-4 with the first spin and then the rocket forehand topspin this time down the line and that's another problem for Timo Boll. You're never sure where that strong forehand topspin's going, it can go wide to your backhand, wide to your forehand, into your body sprays it everywhere, 5-6. Now if he can maintain the positive approach as he showed at the beginning of this third game then he has the chance, no question he has the ability, now somehow mentally he has to keep this positive approach. Well Ma Long came in with the racket open then at the last second changes the angle, plays the flick, Boll's thinking the ball's going to be returned tight and all of a sudden it's flicked into his body and that sets up the rally for Ma Long. Boll now with his second serve in this sequence of two. Again the reverse action service, the back going away from the body, we see it there on the replay and then Boll in with the backhand topspin, played out wide to Ma Long's forehand. Ma Long just wiping his hand on the table near the net doing it again, just a habit that the players get into, just composing themselves. Almost every time when he's in playing powerful topspin and he forces opponents away from the table having said that Boll is incredibly quick with a very dangerous backhand and forehand but it's not the situation that Boll should be looking to develop, he needs to stay close to the table get in with the topspins and if he can force Ma Long away from the table. Second serve coming up. Now we're back at eight all, I wonder if Jörg Roscoff's tempted to call the time out. Xin Zhijian looks very very serious and he knows that if Ma Long can pull this game out then a three-game cushion that gives him a momentous advantage. Now I think I would be tempted now if I was Timo Boll to look for a break, this is a crucial moment in this table tennis match. If Ma Long goes three nil up, wouldn't say it's impossible for Timo Boll but it would be close to that. Boll now with his second serve, this is a must win point. Great return of serve, absolutely great return of serve and so China's Ma Long with two game points for a three games to nil lead and there's that return stepping across to the forehand side to return with the backhand and as a further six points have progressed the players taking the opportunity to towel down but they're back ready for action and Ma Long will be looking to take certainly one of the next two points to seal this third game and he's done it at the first opportunity and Ma Long wins the third game 11-8 and he now leads by three games to nil. Is there any way back? There's always a way back, it's just a very very difficult way back now for Timo Boll and perhaps I think Timo Boll was 8-7 ahead in that game, he's lost four points in a row. For me when we look back at this table tennis match I am sure that's the pivotal moment. I think maybe they just missed a trick there in the German camp at 9-8, I think I'd have been tempted to call timeout because certain momentum was going in favour of Ma Long and they needed just some way somehow just to break that momentum and for me they've just missed a trick there but credit to Ma Long and great credit for that fantastic return of service that was very very brave indeed not only technically outstanding but to return in such a positive manner as he did was very very strong mentally and he's very active just see the way that he moves and the way that he's using his legs now he's got that left ankle strap but it's causing him no problem whatsoever. And so Ma Long leads by three games to nil he's one game away from the title and he serves at the start of the fourth game. I mean mentally having had 8-7 in that third game that's quite a hammer blow mentally for Timo Boll. Slightly fortunate Timo Boll the block hitting the edge of the table Ma Long has in fact finished third in the World Cup on two occasions 2008-2009 but now leading three nil he's certainly strong favourite to win his first title here at the Men's World Cup and certainly England is a happy hunting ground for Ma Long winner of the English Open winner of the ITTF Pro Tour finals and it looks as though he's going to be winner here in Liverpool of the Men's World Cup. You mentioned winner of the Pro Tour finals that was late November in 2011 and of course in the final there he beat Zhang Jike. Now Zhang Jike has become Olympic champion 2011 World Cup winner world champion but of those three big titles he never had to play Ma Long I'm sure the table tennis fans around the world will have the Ma Long versus Zhang Jike debate it's an interesting one Zhang Jike has won the titles I just think perhaps Ma Long is a little stronger but I'm open to persuasion on that one but meanwhile that's a superb forehand topspin from Ma Long drills it into the body of Timo Boll and Ma Long now looks like he's playing unstoppable table tennis and you can see the motivation there clear to see pumped up clenching the fist roars with delight he's smelling victory from Ma Long fortunate from Timo Boll but the way that Ma Long reacts I accept that he lost that point but the way he's reacting to the topspins from Timo Boll is quite outstanding the faintest of edges for Timo Boll the scores now level a little bit of good fortune followed by the best point of the match from Timo's point of view and Boll now levels the score four points each in the fourth game five and it's worth noting that Ma Long lost in his group to Chuang Chi Yuan he then responded by beating England's Paul Drinkel 4-0 Michael Mays 4-0 and Xu Xin 4-0 not a bad way to react after a defeat just shows you never let your head go down and he's now looking as though he could win this final by four games to nil in fact that's the favorite score at this point in time so that defeat hurt didn't it was it the injured tiger is the most dangerous animal well Ma Long doesn't mean tiger it's Li Hu from Singapore who is the tiger but my word maybe Chuang Chi Yuan shouldn't have beaten him because he's certainly taken it out on every opponent since very difficult tactically to play against the player in such good form backhand and forehand topspins never misses just put in a chop block there did Ma Long but Timo Boll responded quite superbly with a well angled forehand topspin there he steps around just got to be careful it's good variation in speed and spin from Ma Long but a well executed forehand topspin from Boll and Ma Long takes the opportunity to towel down and he's now back at the table just composed himself he knows tactically what he has to do he's got to get in behind the serve get in with the first topspin to return a service was poor by Timo Boll he didn't quite read the spin he lifted what he thinks his backspin there he goes he's back underneath the ball you can see him there just blowing his cheeks out he knows he's misread the spin he knows that Ma Long's not going to miss a shot like that eight five and this time it's heavy backspin on the serve and Ma Long now two points away from the title and now Boll with his second serve coming up there's at least one Chinese supporter in the crowd push invited the topspin from Boll took on the counter topspin didn't quite get his racket on top of the ball enough and now Ma Long leads 9-7 but he now has the advantage of his two serves to come from the last two serves it caused Timo immense problems so see if the same happens again and the serve was perfect the half-long serve where the second bounce is round about the end line of the table players not sure whether to play over the table or away from the table championship point now for China's Ma Long in fact three championship points that's one save the realms of possibility that Timo Boll can take two points with his serve he'll certainly be looking to get in behind the serve and indeed time out has been called by China it has the opportunity to call one at time out during a match it's a break of one minute it's an opportunity to go and talk to the coach it's an opportunity if necessary to break the momentum of your opponent if they've had a run quite clearly here Ma Long just wanting to think things through he still has two championship points and that's an interesting call Ian well yes and the Chinese often call the time out much earlier than many other nations in table tennis and that doesn't surprise me at all and you just have to look at Jin Zijian's phrase he was very very affirmative in the way that he was speaking to Ma Long he knows that the job to be done it has to be finished and here is the massive chance to take the opportunity now Timo I think is serving Ma Long is receiving and I know that Timo Boll has had one or two problems in this tournament keeping the serve short and to do it under pressure is very difficult so Ma Long must be looking to see if he can attack the service see if he can top spin the service to end the contest oh we thought it was over the crowd thought it was over Ma Long launches himself into the top spin but just look at that block out wide to Ma Long's forehand two championship points saved one remains could it be third time lucky for Ma Long just look at Ma Long it's his first World Cup title he was certainly the best player here in the latter stages of the tournament his performances in the quarterfinal semi-final and final were quite simply devastating winning all three by four games to nil and there is confirmation of the amazing performance a four nil victory for Ma Long and a worthy winner Ian well absolutely outstanding performance considering the Ma Long that we saw on the first day of play and now we see Ma Long mark two was absolutely stupendous what a performance from this young man from Liaoning in northern China from the city of Anshan tremendous performance and also a tremendous team effort with his coach Ma Long the champion and surely Qin Zijian must be delighted certainly Ma Long has come to Liverpool he's thrilled the crowd's fantastic effort Ma Long is the 2012