China Dominated at the ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals
December 17, 2007

Ma Lin, the Men's Singles champion at the Volkswagen Pro Tour Grand Finals  Photo By: Ayoade Ademakinwa

Courtesy of ITTF Ma Lin concluded his day’s work on Sunday December 16, 2007 at the Volkswagen Pro Tour Grand Finals at the Olympic Stadium in Peking University as the proud owner of a Volkswagen Magotan four door saloon car. In an all-Chinese final he beat Wang Hao in six games to be crowned champion. Ma Lin won 12-10, 11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 5-11, 11-9.

It was the second time in his career that Ma Lin had captured the title, his previous win had been in 2001.

Good Start
Motivated, it was Ma Lin who made the better start to the contest winning the opening two games; his ability in the area of deft service variation and a devastating first attack being crucial.

Wang Hao attacked strongly but not Ma Lin, sometimes off balance, sometimes being required to innovate, responded with reaction blocks from both backhand and forehand.

Short Rallies
In the early part of the duel the rallies were on the whole brief but when they did develop later in the contest then the crowd was enraptured.

Backhands
Both players in the first four games followed the tactic time and again of one backhand topspin and then move quickly for a forehand fast topspin to try to win the point; however, as the match progressed Ma Lin became less inclined to follow this tactic.

Often he blocked the ball in the conventional manner as befits a penholder, using the same side of the racket as employed on the forehand.

Fifteenth Meeting
The duel at the Peking University was the fifteenth time that Wang Hao and Ma Lin have met in international competition where World ranking points are at stake; it was the ninth time that Ma Lin had won.

Current Year
Furthermore, in 2007 it was no less than the sixth time they had met and it was the fourth time that success had gone the way of Ma Lin.

Wang Hao won at the semi-final stage of the Men’s Singles event at the Gorenje Slovenian Open and in the same round at the Panasonic China Open while Ma Lin shad succeeded in the semis of the Liebherr World Championships in Zagreb and in the final of the Men’s Singles event at both the Volswagen Open China and the Liebherr French Open.

At the Volkswagen Pro Tour Grand Finals 2007, in the Men’s Singles event, Ma Lin succeeded again; the top step of the medal podium and a set of car keys belonged to him.

Further Results from the Pro Tour Grand Finals

Women's Singles Final: LI Xiaoxia CHN defeated GUO Yue CHN 2-4
Semi-Finals:
1. GUO Yue CHN defeated GUO Yan CHN 4-0
2. LI Xiaoxia CHN defeated ZHANG Yining CHN 2-4

Men's Doubles Final: CHEN Qi CHN / WANG Liqin CHN defeated
MA Lin CHN / WANG Hao CHN 4-1
Semi-Finals:
1. CHEN Qi CHN / WANG Liqin CHN defeated
KO Lai Chak HKG / LI Ching HKG 4-2
2. MA Lin CHN / WANG Hao CHN defeated
HAO Shuai CHN / MA Long CHN 3-4

Women's Double Final: GUO Yue CHN / LI Xiaoxia CHN defeated
KIM Kyung Ah KOR / PARK Mi Young KOR 4-2
Semi-Finals:
1. GUO Yue CHN / LI Xiaoxia CHN defeated
LI Jia Wei SIN / WANG Yue Gu SIN 4-0
2. KIM Kyung Ah KOR / PARK Mi Young KOR defeated
TIE Yana HKG / ZHANG Rui HKG 4-1

U21 Boys' Singles Final: CHO Eon Rae KOR defeated
GACINA Andrej HRV 4-0

U21 Girls' Singles Final: FENG Tianwei SIN defeated
LI Qian POL 4-1