Lin Yun-Ju pulled off the biggest win of his career upsetting Chinese great Ma Long in a match he gave himself little chance of winning just 24 hours earlier. In truth, not many would have given the 17-year-old from Taiwan much chance against a player who is acknowledged as one of the best of all time. That perhaps played in Lin’s favour as he played with a “nothing to lose” mentality. Ma took the opening game but the signs were there that an upset could be on the cards as he had to fight back from 3-7 down. Lin levelled scores in a surprising manner, closing out the game after taking a 10-1 lead. Ma produced his best in the third game, dominating in the way fans are familiar with. Again, the Taiwanese teenager fought back, going for his shots and winning after going 9-6 up. Into the FAST5, the pressure was on Ma to seize the initiative, and perhaps that made him too hasty as he went 3-0 behind and was unable to come back. Ma got to game point in Game 6 but Lin played the next two points superbly to close out a victory that left him speechless.
Well, that was a match. A loss is a loss. I want to thank to all the fans for supporting and hope they continue to watch table tennis.
Ma Long
She played really well. I kept getting early leads but simply could not push on. We know each other well and the first two games went by quickly but I wasn’t able to get into a proper rhythm.
Lin Yun-Ju
About International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF):
The International Table Tennis Federation is the global governing body of Table Tennis. Affiliated to six Continental and 226 National Associations, the ITTF coordinates over 100 international events per year and has long been represented at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In accordance with its Strategic Plan, the ITTF is fully committed to growing the sport in five key areas: Organisation & Governance, High Performance & Development, International Events, Promotion and Revenue.
Find out more about the International Table Tennis Federation at ITTF.com.
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About T2 Diamond Table Tennis League (T2 Diamond):
T2 Diamond Table Tennis League is the most prestigious series of annual professional events organised in collaboration with the International Table Tennis Federation. T2 Diamond 2019 will feature 32 of the world’s best men’s and women’s players competing across three tournaments for a combined prize purse of USD 1.5 million, and bonus ITTF World Ranking points as they battle their way to 2020 Tokyo Olympic qualification. The revolutionary league employs a unique competition format and various other innovations that catapult table tennis into a truly entertaining spectator sport, whilst providing players with the ultimate environment in which to compete and excel.
Headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Shanghai, Tokyo and Chicago, T2 Diamond is committed to unlocking the true commercial potential of table tennis by expanding its appeal through its high quality, immersive content and venue experience.
Find out more about T2 Diamond at www.t2diamond.com
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Media contact: media@t2apac.com