Ma Lin (table tennis)
Encyclopedia
Ma Lin is a male table tennis
player. He is the world's number four ranked player as of June, 2011 in the International Table Tennis Federation
(ITTF).
He learned to play table tennis at the age of five and became a member of the provincial team in 1990. In 1994, he joined the Chinese national team. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
, Ma won gold in both the singles and team competitions, becoming the third Chinese male player to achieve this feat.
Ma Lin holds a professional era record of 5 major titles (4 World Cups, 1 Olympic Gold).
. An aggressive player, he is known for his converse unpredictable serves, heavy short push receives, fast footwork, and powerful third ball attacks. In addition to possessing a solid backhand block, Ma Lin also uses the reverse penhold backhand (RPB), an innovative stroke utilizing the underside of the blade which allows a penholder to produce topspin from both wings. The most dangerous weapon Ma Lin has in his arsenal, however, is his consistent forehand loop, which he often uses to end a point decisively.
Ma Lin is currently using a Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive Penhold as his blade. He uses DHS Skyline 2 for his forehand and Butterfly Bryce/Bryce Speed for his backhand.
, Ma Lin played for Bayi Gongshang, Shandong Luneng
, Guangdong Gotone, Shaanxi Yinhe and Ningbo Haitan. His transfer to Shaanxi Yinhe for over 5 million Chinese yuan was a league record but financial bust. His next transfer was to Ningbo Haitan for just 1.3 million yuan (US$168,000), including 1 million yuan in salary.
In China, Lin is famous for his dedication to training ("拼命三郎"); in his early days, he was known for wearing down the soles of his shoes in just three days. He has won the four World Cup trophies (2000, 2003, 2004, 2006), more than any other player in history, but has lost three times in the World Championship finals (1999, 2005, 2007).
Lin has been criticized often for his lack of mental resolve, crumbling in crucial moments. Despite his victories in 1999, he performed poorly in the national trials and was denied a berth in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He was seeded first in World Championship at Zagreb (2007); however, he lost in the final to his compatriot Wang Liqin
, after leading 3–1 in games, and being 7–1 up in the fifth. At a post-match press conference, he revealed that his maternal grandfather had committed suicide before the tournament began.
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Ma Lin won the teams competition with his compatriots Wang Liqin
and Wang Hao
. In the men's singles, Ma Lin defeated Korean player Oh Sang Eun
in the quarterfinals (4–0), his rival Wang Liqin in the semifinals (4–2), and world number 1 Wang Hao in the finals (4–1). Ma Lin is now 12–7 head-to-head against Wang Hao.
Ma Lin has an 88.7% winning rate against all his opponents.
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
player. He is the world's number four ranked player as of June, 2011 in the International Table Tennis Federation
International Table Tennis Federation
The International Table Tennis Federation is the governing body for all national table tennis associations.-Founding history:The ITTF was founded in 1926, the nine founding members being Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, India, Sweden and Wales...
(ITTF).
He learned to play table tennis at the age of five and became a member of the provincial team in 1990. In 1994, he joined the Chinese national team. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, Ma won gold in both the singles and team competitions, becoming the third Chinese male player to achieve this feat.
Ma Lin holds a professional era record of 5 major titles (4 World Cups, 1 Olympic Gold).
Style and equipment
Ma Lin uses the penhold gripTable tennis styles
Table tennis is unique among racket sports in that it supports a large variety of different styles of players. As players' levels increase, the diversity of styles decreases slightly, because technically weak styles are quickly eliminated. But even at the very top of international table tennis,...
. An aggressive player, he is known for his converse unpredictable serves, heavy short push receives, fast footwork, and powerful third ball attacks. In addition to possessing a solid backhand block, Ma Lin also uses the reverse penhold backhand (RPB), an innovative stroke utilizing the underside of the blade which allows a penholder to produce topspin from both wings. The most dangerous weapon Ma Lin has in his arsenal, however, is his consistent forehand loop, which he often uses to end a point decisively.
Ma Lin is currently using a Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive Penhold as his blade. He uses DHS Skyline 2 for his forehand and Butterfly Bryce/Bryce Speed for his backhand.
Career
In the China Table Tennis Super LeagueChina Table Tennis Super League
China Table Tennis Super League is the top table tennis division under the Chinese Table Tennis Association.The last finisher of the CTTSL will be relegated to the China Table Tennis Jia League A Group. The top two finishers of the Jia League A Group will have extra games with the second last...
, Ma Lin played for Bayi Gongshang, Shandong Luneng
Shandong Luneng
Shandong Luneng Taishan is a Chinese Super League football club owned by Shandong Luneng Group, the biggest supplier of electric energy in Shandong province. They play at the Shandong Stadium in Jinan, Shandong. The predecessor of Shandong Luneng Taishan was the Shandong Provincial team organised...
, Guangdong Gotone, Shaanxi Yinhe and Ningbo Haitan. His transfer to Shaanxi Yinhe for over 5 million Chinese yuan was a league record but financial bust. His next transfer was to Ningbo Haitan for just 1.3 million yuan (US$168,000), including 1 million yuan in salary.
In China, Lin is famous for his dedication to training ("拼命三郎"); in his early days, he was known for wearing down the soles of his shoes in just three days. He has won the four World Cup trophies (2000, 2003, 2004, 2006), more than any other player in history, but has lost three times in the World Championship finals (1999, 2005, 2007).
Lin has been criticized often for his lack of mental resolve, crumbling in crucial moments. Despite his victories in 1999, he performed poorly in the national trials and was denied a berth in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He was seeded first in World Championship at Zagreb (2007); however, he lost in the final to his compatriot Wang Liqin
Wang Liqin
Wang Liqin is a Chinese table tennis player. As of October, 2011, he is ranked 8th in the International Table Tennis Federation . He began playing at the age of 6 and was picked for the Chinese men's national squad in 1993 when he was only 15 years old. Wang is the last man since Jiang Jialiang to...
, after leading 3–1 in games, and being 7–1 up in the fifth. At a post-match press conference, he revealed that his maternal grandfather had committed suicide before the tournament began.
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Ma Lin won the teams competition with his compatriots Wang Liqin
Wang Liqin
Wang Liqin is a Chinese table tennis player. As of October, 2011, he is ranked 8th in the International Table Tennis Federation . He began playing at the age of 6 and was picked for the Chinese men's national squad in 1993 when he was only 15 years old. Wang is the last man since Jiang Jialiang to...
and Wang Hao
Wang Hao (table tennis)
Wáng Hào is a Chinese table tennis player. He became the World Champion in Men's Singles in Yokohama, Japan in May 2009, defeating 3-time World Champion Wang Liqin 4-0. Other notable accomplishments are the 3-time World Cup Champion in 2007, 2008 and 2010, Singles Silver medalist at the 2004...
. In the men's singles, Ma Lin defeated Korean player Oh Sang Eun
Oh Sang Eun
Oh Sang-Eun is a South Korean table tennis player. He is currently sponsored by the table tennis product company, Butterfly....
in the quarterfinals (4–0), his rival Wang Liqin in the semifinals (4–2), and world number 1 Wang Hao in the finals (4–1). Ma Lin is now 12–7 head-to-head against Wang Hao.
Ma Lin has an 88.7% winning rate against all his opponents.
Titles
- 1999 Men's World Championship 2nd Place
- 2000 Men's World Cup champion
- 2002 ITTF Pro Tour Grand FinalsITTF Pro Tour Grand FinalsThe ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals is an annual table tennis tournament sanctioned by International Table Tennis Federation at the end of the year. The tournament includes six events: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, U21 men's and women's singles...
Men's Singles Gold - 2003 Men's World Cup champion
- 2004 Athens Olympic Games champion doubles (with Chen Qi)
- 2004 Men's World Cup champion
- 2005 Men's World Championship 2nd place
- 2006 Men's World Cup champion
- 2007 Men's World Championship 2nd place
- 2007 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals Men's Singles Gold
- 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Men's Singles champion and Men's Team champion.
- 2009 Men's World Championship 3rd place
- 2010 Men's Team World Championship, gold medal.