SINGAPORE – The Singapore Smash has been a tournament of firsts for Chinese table tennis superstar Ma Long.
First up was a maiden doubles appearance in Singapore for the 35-year-old, followed by an unwanted record when he failed to qualify for the men’s singles final for the first time since 2022 after a shock exit in the round of 32.
His 3-2 defeat by Germany’s Patrick Franziska on March 12 was also the first time in 14 events that Ma had lost in the last 32 of a competition.
But, cheered on by the crowd at the OCBC Arena on March 16, the five-gold Olympic champion made history by clinching his first Singapore Smash title.
He teamed up with Lin Gaoyuan to beat two-time defending champions and world No. 1 duo Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin 3-2 (6-11, 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 14-12) in the men’s doubles final.
Ma said: “There were instances (in the singles round of 32 and 64) where I failed to execute my tactics and maintain control of the tempo, leading to my defeat.
“This is the nature of competitive sports, and I recognise the need to adjust my mindset accordingly. Winning the men’s doubles title with Gaoyuan has boosted my confidence in our partnership.”
World champions Fan and Wang looked on track to retain their title when they took the first game 11-6.
But the unranked Ma and Lin, who last competed together in 2020, won the next two 11-7, 11-9 to stun their teammates. Fan and Wang subsequently took the fourth game 11-6, setting up a grandstand finish.
In the decider, Fan and Wang raced to a 4-1 lead before Ma fought back to tie the score at 4-4.
The see-saw battle kept fans on the edge of their seats. With the score at 9-9, Wang delivered a smash that gave them the advantage, but their opponents saved two match points to make it 11-11.
Little separated them as the match stretched to 12-12 and, with the crowd at fever pitch, it was Ma and Lin who eventually secured the final two points.
Reflecting on their journey as partners, Lin said: “We definitely faced a lot of challenges, and different obstacles along the way but we fought through and overcame all of them.”
Compatriots Chen Meng and Wang Manyu ensured a clean sweep on the penultimate day of the Singapore Smash, as the sixth-ranked duo beat Chinese Taipei’s world No. 5 Cheng I-ching and Li Yu-jhun 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-5).
Just hours earlier, world No. 3 Wang had outplayed second-ranked Chen 4-1 (10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4) in the women’s singles semi-finals.
But the rivals turned partners later to cruise to victory in the women’s doubles final.
Chen said: “We’re not only teammates, but we often see each other at the opposite end of the table.
“We’re very used to this relationship because everyone is very strong within our Chinese team. When standing beside each other, we’ll also feel stronger.”
The final day of competition on March 17 will also see new winners crowned in the men’s and women’s singles.
They will be all-Chinese affairs, with the men’s event to feature Liang Jingkun and Wang Chuqin.
Liang booked his place after beating Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-ju 4-2 (9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5), while the latter defeated French teenager Felix Lebrun 4-1 (11-2, 7-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-8).
The women’s contest will see Manyu, who was the runner-up in 2022, taking on the fourth-ranked Wang Yidi, who recorded a 4-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9) victory over compatriot Chen Xingtong.
Local fans will get to cheer on Singaporean Ser Lin Qian, who will play China’s Zhang Xiangyu in the Under-19 girls’ semi-finals at the WTT Youth Star Contender Singapore.
En route to the semi-finals, the 17-year-old beat two of Xiangyu’s compatriots, Xu Yi (3-1) and Zong Geman (3-0).
The Under-15 and Under-19 events are being held parallel to the senior tournament and serve as a platform for Singapore and the world’s emerging talents.
