Wang Liqin wins Korean Open

Defeats Wang Hao in Men's Single Final

First published on Thursday, June 3, 2004

Last updated on Thursday, June 3, 2004

ITTF Press Release

The ability to return WANG Hao’s powerful forehand topspin strokes and respond with his own, gave China’s WANG Liqin the advantage over his compatriot in the final of the Men’s Singles event at the Volkswagen Open in Pyeongchang, Korea; WANG Liqin won in impressive style.

The man from Shanghai captured the title in five games and thus maintained his record of never having lost to WANG Hao in international competition; they had met three times previously and one each occasion WANG Liqin had emerged the victor.

WANG Hao’s strong forehand and his ability to return short services with varying degrees of topspin and sidespin into WANG Liqin’s body caused problems for the champion elect as it had done to all his adversaries during the course of the tournament. However, when WANG Liqin could unleash his forehand topspin the end result was in very little doubt, in fact, in no doubt at all.

The first two games went to WANG Liqin, WANG Hao recovered to win the third; in the fourth WANG Liqin once again assumed command. The man destined to be the runner up continually moved round his backhand to play his favoured forehand; the ball directed across the table to WANG Liqin’s backhand was blocked with increasing consistency and any weak return was dealt with severely.

Matters came to a conclusion in the fifth game; WANG Liqin strained every sinew to play his powerful forehand, WANG Hao made mistakes and was soon five points in arrears without troubling the scoreboard himself. He continued to play positively but WANG Liqin had his sights set firmly on the title and on the second match point a trademark forehand topspin wide to the WANG Hao backhand brought the match and the Volkswagen Open 2004 in Pyeongchang, Korea to an end.

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Wang Liqin wins Korean Open

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