Tokyo 2020: Olympic champion Ma Long and world No 1 Fan Zhendong in powerful Chinese table tennis squad for Games

Reigning Olympic champion Ma Long and world No 1 Fan Zhendong were on Sunday named in China’s table tennis squad for the Tokyo but the man who beat them both is ranked too low to be considered.

World No 122 Zhou Qihao defeated 32-year-old Ma 4-3 in the semi-finals of the Chinese Olympic simulation tournament in Xinxiang, Henan in early May before upsetting Fan 4-2 in the final for an unexpected triumph.

Zhou, however, was always going to be left out because of his ranking, with Ma at No 3 in the world and more experienced in top-class tournaments having also won three world titles.

Ma and Fan will be joined by second-ranked Xu Xin in the men’s team event. Top-ranked Chen Meng and No 3 Sun Yingsha will compete in the women’s singles competition and join forces with world champion Liu Shiwen in the team event. Xu and Liu will combine in the mixed doubles.

“There are too many unsure things and challenges, and we need a squad full of experience and confidence, adding to top-class individual skills,” Liu Guoliang, president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, who is also a former Olympic champion, was quoted as saying by Xinhua. “I want an all-around plan from the coaching staff who are preparing for the worst even before the Olympic Games get under way.”

China have dominated the Olympic table tennis competition since the sport was first played at the 1988 Seoul Games. They have won 28 of the 32 gold medals and are expected to again take most of honours in the Tokyo competition from July 24 to August 6.

At the Xinxiang event, the 24-year-old Zhou said he needed to play beyond his capacity to beat two of the world’s top players on consecutive days.

“I had not expected [to win],” Zhou was quoted as saying in media reports. “From group phase to quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final, I competed against many outstanding players, so I just went all out in every game. I played 120 per cent of my level in this competition.”

Top seeded Fan made no excuses for his defeat. “I got the initiative on many occasions, but I failed to make it. Then I became a bit hesitant and gave too much space for him to attack.”

In the women’s singles, Sun saved two set points from Chen and won four straight points for a 12-10 win in the opening set.

Chen made timely adjustments afterward and raced ahead 2-1 in sets. After conceding two set points in the fourth set, Sun called a timeout before holding firm to win 11-9 and level the score. Chen regrouped herself from there and pocketed the next two sets, 11-7, 11-3.

For Chen, the first four sets were quite intense and extended into the fifth set. “At 7-7, I stayed firm to win this set and became relieved in the sixth set,” she said.

Top seed Chen won the women’s singles by beating Sun 4-2 in the final in a competition that went according to seedings.

Ma, meanwhile, said his loss was part of his efforts to regain his form after not having played for six months because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I had a better control on crucial points,” said Ma. “We haven’t played any competitive match for almost half a year, and staging this competition is quite necessary for our Olympics preparation.”