Men's Singles Table Tennis Final - Full Match | Rio 2016 Replays

Time for the men's singles gold medal match. It's an all China affair between Ma Long and Zhang Zike of Chinese side. Well would you have thought of anything else? China's so strong in the table tennis arena. Ma Long first up to introduce to the crowd 27 years of age. There is the fat dragon for some reason, not quite sure why, up against him just a year older at 28. Zhang Zike, the Tibetan master, his nickname, gold at London of course, his second Olympic games. A man who has all the experience, isn't seen in a bar, Ma Long. Will it cause him to hesitate a little bit on some of his shots? True champions don't do that. He's certainly got some support amongst the neutrals it would seem in the arena here. Gold medal match then. All Chinese affair, Ma against Zhang. The backhand down the line is amazing. They take the ball so early. I think that's one of the big differences between the Chinese players and the rest of the world. They take the ball earlier, they give you less time and I think they play with rackets that are very hard wood. As the ball comes off their racket so fast. They've got great techniques, of course they have, but it's just so fast. They play at a different level, a different level of speed. The reverse action service there from Zhang Zike, the bat going away from the body. Back to Ma Zhang with the serve though. It's a mesmerizing serve, isn't it? Kind of inside out. Easy to keep your eye on the ball. It's a flung around the bat. Ma Long there, quickly round his backhand to play the forehand topspin. Two points apiece, all four points against the service. I would say Zhang Zike form fluctuates a little bit more than Ma Long. Ma Long consistently plays at a very, very high level. Zhang Zike's form can drop, but possibly when he's produces his best, maybe once, twice a season, then perhaps he could take Ma Long. That's why this final is so interesting. So far, he didn't take evasive action a couple of times in this first game of this gold medal match. Wearing that one up, didn't he? Saw it very early. The serve wasn't great actually. He didn't get the contact between bat and ball. Second bounce was way over the white line. He either served long and fast or second bounce around the baseline, the sideline. That one was in between the two. He paid the price. Now the advantage, not finding his range there. Zhang won the first two points. Ma Long has now taken six out of seven Chinese players, coaches looking on. They can relax. Gold and silver are coming their way. Job well done. Yeah, the coach will be getting his congratulations, I'm sure, from the federation. Very delicate touch play there by both players. Zhang Zike just slightly lifted the ball and it was Ma Long who pounced on the opportunity. Very noisy here in the center of the pavilion. Chinese support, very enthusiastic. Came under the ball with a push return of service. Ma Long a little bit more back spin on the ball than Zhang Zike thought. Further six points has passed. Ma Long takes the opportunity. Towel down, just have a slight pause, collect his thoughts, think about the tactics. Oh yes, well, instinct. It was brilliant, put it near to the table. That's a good response from Zhang. Committed himself there, Ma Long, wide on the forehand. He was hoping to make a winner because he left the whole of the table wide open. Paid the price. That was a well-placed forehand top spin by Zhang Zike into the body of Ma Long. Chinese contingent. Total commitment to the shot though. Zhang Zike is in with the top spin, fairly strong. Ma Long's instinct is to launch himself into a counter top spin. Overhit it. Oh, couldn't quite get it back. It was a good aggressive intent from Zhang. And there was Liu Guoliang, the men's coach, relaxing. And so he deserves to relax. While these two battle it out, it couldn't be closer. Eight points each. Again, perhaps just edging too far around his forehand there. Committing himself to the forehand from the backhand side. Zhang Zike down the line. Ma Long's stretching. As soon as you stretch, it's very difficult to control the ball. With this game, you suspect the match. Peace. You see Ma Long, the better of the early exchanges, but Zhang has come roaring back. Again, Ma Long is so determined to be aggressive. He's round the backhand side, playing his forehand. Especially today, he's gained points for his first seed. World's number one. See what he's trying to do. He's really frustrated with himself. Very quick to get on the offensive. It's ten apiece. Evaporated. So it's all turn at serving now. First player to win two clear points. As always, the best of seven games. First player to win four. And this first one, evenly poised. Ten points each. He has a game point. He's taken early advantage. It's a gold medal match. The push from Zhang Zike just came a little bit too high. Ma Long played a good backhand topspin into the body. Zhang Zike, 11 points each. There he is, the man in red. Happiest man in the room, I suspect, tonight. Gold, silver coming his way. Good coach, though, you'll never tell. Keeping his emotions in check for the time being. Ten apiece, on we go in this first game. Oh my word, fantastic return of the serve. But if you see on the replay here, how quickly Ma Long is round. He's there, he's round the backhand, waiting to play his forehand. Of course, Zhang Zike, not only does he put it down the line, he absolutely rockets it down the line. Super play. Another game point. Good return of serve, kept it tight. Sometimes the most delicate shots look quite straightforward, but they're not easy to pull off. Much spin on the service as Zhang Zike thought he lifted. It wasn't quite the backspin there, so the ball lifts off the end of the table, and Ma now with his second game point. And that's it, Long from Zhang, eventually prevails in this first game, 14-12, and it's all going to plan for the man who is top of the table when it comes to the table tennis world. He does still desire what Zhang has. He had the gold in London. Ma Long has looked positive. He would have struggled to get that had it hit the table, but it didn't, and the first game goes the way of Ma Long. Second game then. Zhang has the serve. Oh yes, switch very quickly, thought about the backhand, and then just look at the speed of thought and movement. Got down very low to hit that ball at the best possible point. Backhand to backhand, and it was the number one seed who comes out on top against the Olympic champion. Yes, you don't get much more quality in table tennis than that. The Olympic champion, the number one seed. Whoever wins this and can sail through all the realms. Quite sensational for Chinese athletes. Backhand to backhand again on the diagonal, and Ma Long again wins the point, two points each. It's pleasing on the eye, isn't it, when you're into a backhand battle, especially the speed of the shots. I think that's the key thing, it's the speed that's as fast as I've ever seen it. Brilliant rally, brilliant rally, great initially from Zhang, but Ma took his chances and finished the point off. Every ball's played with pace, played with spin, it's just one incredible shot after another. I think it's a combination of mainly the skill and the technique of the players, but the rubbers they're playing with now, the hard wood that the racket's made of, all contributes to the ball going so fast. Oh, another one, a bullet! Goodness me, Zhang, isn't that the races there? You can't blame him for it, it's just the speed of Ma. Marvellous stuff. Both these players have outstanding forehand topspins from the backhand of the table in particular, and that's the one they're looking to get in. Ma Long's clearly gambling at times that Zhang's going to come into his backhand. This is going a little too smoothly for Zhang's liking, he needs to get back into this game before it's run away from him. We've had three backhand-to-backhand rallies in this game, and Ma Long has won all three, that will be on Zhang Jike's mind. Just placed that one into the body of Zhang Jike, tried to play a forehand, but wasn't quite in position. I think the ball hit the edge of the racket, and Zhang's back, we'll have a look. There it is, it flies up into the sky off the top edge, it looks as though it's a terrible miss, but it's a fraction of a second out in the timing of the shot. Oh, that would have been a return and a half, better from Zhang. The speed to get across and make that backhand return, he sort of floated the ball back. Just incredible, they really are outstanding athletes. The fitness level, the way they move, their endurance, their flexibility, like any world-class athlete here, fitness is so important, and that's what they all possess, outstanding fitness. I think anyone who's had a go at the game will understand just what a good workout it is at a recreational level, let alone the actual fitness you need here to be at the top of the world rankings. Zhang there trying to get that forehand from the backhand side in, but it's coming so fast at him from Ma Long. So at the moment, at this point, he's not really battling. Four, two, Ma, in the red. Again, backhand to backhand, Zhang Jike realizes he has to up the ante on the backhand to backhand rally, and he went for perhaps a little bit too of an aggressive backhand topspin there, went for a very wide angle as well. Combination of how hard he tried to hit it and the angle he went for meant the error, and now six game points for Ma Long. This has been a lot easier in the first game, although over the year, of course, we've seen stranger things happen. At last, at long last, he wins a backhand rally. It's almost as though he said, backhand to backhand, I can't beat you, so I'm going to play a rocket down the line, and that's what he did, here it comes, there it is. A wry smile there for Ma Long, still has five game points though. Didn't react well, reacted like lightning, and at the moment he is running away with this gold medal match. It's the second game, this is how he did it. Took his time with the net cord, played a great forehand topspin to win the point. Third game, now leading by two to nothing at the moment. Long, fast serve to start off with, it's Brave, inviting Chongzhika to make the topspin and then take on the counter topspin. Brave tactic, it paid dividends, Ma Long won love. Oh, so far. He actually slipped during the rally there, didn't Ma Long, he lost his foot in it, maybe we'll see that on the replay, I'm not sure. No, no, it was a little bit before this stage of the rally. That's brilliant, absolutely brilliant, and for those who paid their money to get in here tonight, they certainly have been repaid by these athletes. There's an improvised chop-cum-sidespin from Ma Long. And the tactics were good from Chongzhika as well, he went for the block down the line, it would have been a winner. I use the word block hesitantly because these guys don't block it, they actually hit it. They actually use their elbow and wrist into the shot, most people just contain it and guide it. These guys are actually putting even more speed on the ball. Onto the forehand, fascinating tussle between these two. Top edge of the racket there, but I think the last 10-20 points, Ma Long hasn't made an error on the backhand side, he's been so consistent, so strong and powerful, playing his backhand from the backhand corner. Again, strong backhand on the diagonal. Not a few coats and fleeces on around in the crowd, but they are putting their sweat on here. The total body action when he does that counter topspin there, it starts with his legs, he drives, twists his body, just have a look here. Upper body, shoulder, elbow, wrist, everything going into the shot, perfectly coordinated, wonderful technique. Total commitment and the marvel is that he can get back ready and balance the next shot. There you go again, got a hand on the forehand, light and quick. Ma Long, I see why they suffer with injuries, wrist injury a few years ago for Ma Long. Facial hazard, but holding nothing back here. Oh yes, he's human after all, an error on the backhand. Just look at Zhang, down on his haunches, launching that forehand backhand to Mark. Excellent player, but just look against this guy here who is serene, makes it look easy. It's interesting now with the players you were talking Richard about the potential injuries and the twisting and when you think of how many hours a day these players are practicing, how many times they're twisting the body and in recent times of course working closely with the medical profession, they're doing exercise to compensate. It's twisting all one way, you get stronger muscles on one side of your body, same happens in tennis, badminton, squash, the racket sports and the medical advice, the physiotherapist working with the players making sure they compensate to minimize the chance of injury, but you're still going to have injuries. The world's number one is on fire at the moment, I think that first game could have gone either way, he saved a couple of game points, he got through it, he's won the second comfortably at 8-4 up, the momentum massively with Ma Long. It's that ball is just going like a rocket in terms of speed, there's top spin on it against any other player, Zhang Jike would have won that point three or four times. A few years ago we'd be changing the table tennis ball at regular intervals, it's holding up well, a couple of points away from a three to nothing lead in this match. What a net caught, a hand of apology from Ma, the number one seed now has six game points to make it three below. Superb reactions, well he kept that point alive and then took it and he takes the third game as well and at the moment it's all one way traffic. Zhang to serve in his fourth game of this gold medal match, he's in the spot of bother, well got to get more than a spot of bother to get his first game here. Bit of backspin on the return there, Zhang Jike just need to lift a fraction more than he did, got his back a little bit too far over the ball. And that's an error by Zhang Jike, we've not seen many, that push wasn't quite as fast and as deep as Ma Long would have liked. Zhang Jike mistiming the backhand topspin, Ma now of course with his two serves to come. Prominence isn't he? And this has become a road train, a very very good player, he's been made to look like ordinary, I think that's a bit unfair on him but such is the skill of Ma Long. And indeed it's Zhang Jike who's called the timeout, he senses three nil down, he's just lost the first three points. Back to the table, the minute the timeout has run out, Ma with the serve, three love up in this game and three games to love in the match. That timeout may be the best timeout he's ever called on his own. Two points, back to back after the timeout. Into the table there, didn't seem to bounce, I think it was the topspin on the ball, sometimes you get a lot of spin, it just affects how the ball bounces off the table. 7,000 seats in this stadium, I think most of them are occupied this evening, good crowd, good atmosphere and some great table tennis. Body language from Zhang tells its own story, just a little bit subdued, tried everything hasn't he, and he's come up against a brick wall, it's a great wall of China in Ma Long, just excellent work from this man here. Very good, wristy backhand topspin from Zhang Jike there, up the back of the ball, heavy topspin deep into the backhand of Ma Long, the topspin bites into the sponge, the rubber pings up in the air, you've got to get your racket over the ball when there's heavy topspin. Too much power there for Zhang Jike to control, 6-3, five points now needed for the most prestigious title in the world of table tennis, the Olympic gold medal for singles. Another point towards it, Mark Zhang, to him credit, has tried everything, he is such a good player, this man is such a good table tennis player, I need to tell you that, you can see all the evidence here, this gold medal match. Another loss for Zhang, 8-3, three points away from the gold medal for Ma Long. When he wins the point, just look at that, he's punching the air, he's shouting, clearly, it's an obvious thing to say, but it means so much to him. Still fighting hard, there's always a danger now that Ma Long just unconsciously takes the pressure off a little bit, just takes his foot off the pedal, Zhang Jike throws caution to the wind, goes for some big shots, he pulls them off, so there still could be a few more twists and turns in this final. There's another point, he's still so pumped up, I imagine his focus is still pretty sharp, I have to feel for Zhang, there's some excellent stuff here that is still in the a bit of a hiding really. What a way to go to match point. The backhand topspin there was just amazing, we've seen table tennis, some of the shots like we've never seen them before, an amazing backhand topspin. Six points for the gold medal. Oh, what a way to do it, what a shot. Well, the crowd will love him back, Ma Long has completed the grand slam in table tennis and this is the pinnacle. He had a team gold in London, but he is the men's singles champion here, beating the man who got gold in London, Zhang Jike. What a display of table tennis we have seen here tonight in Rio. I think the only way you can describe it is one-way traffic, 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 and some of the best topspin shots I've ever seen. There they are, united together behind the Chinese flag. China dominate this world of table tennis, have done now for quite some time and the two boys there, clearly good teammates and of course now they'll team up together to try and win the gold medal for China. There he is, the bronze medalist, Yun Mizutani. He played a great game against the veteran Vladimir Samsonov. This is Yang Yang presenting the medal. Third Olympic Games appearance for the Japanese athlete and he takes the bronze medal. And this will be a very proud moment for Mahara, Japanese former international, presenting the present to his compatriot Mizutani. Can he go better in four years time when the Olympic Games are in his own country? Who knows? Silver medalist representing the People's Republic of China. Dan Zika, 28 years of age, was the gold medalist in London. He came up against the phenomenon that is Ma Long with what a performance and what a tournament. I think we saw in tonight's final just some of the most amazing table tennis we've ever seen. The ball was going so fast, the levels of speed, fitness, I think as high as they've ever been. He has that career grand slam of course and here tonight he takes the silver for China. Gold medalist and Olympic champion representing the People's Republic of China. What hasn't this man achieved? Everything is the answer. World ranked number one, first seed here. He had a gold in the team competition in London but he takes to his utter brilliance tonight the gold medal here at Rio. I think it's always good when the best player in the world wins the big title. I think it's a strong argument to say that they deserve it. I'm delighted to say the best player in the world is standing on the gold medal podium. Ladies and gentlemen, the anthem of the People's Republic of China. Ladies and gentlemen, the Olympic medalists.