This was my second experience of a World Championships, the first one, in Manchester, was exactly 10 years ago. I didn’t think I would ever see such a fine display of attacking table tennis as the one in Manchester when Jan Ove Waldner secured his second world singles title. Wang Liqin’s successful defence of his World title may not have surpassed Waldner’s performance but it came mighty close.

The presentation of the centre court in Zagreb was excellent and created a superb arena for all the action. The first semi final was between China’s Ma Lin, reaching his third World Men’s Singles final and Wang Hao, Olympic silver medallist. Ma Lin won in six games 6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 4-11, 11-9, 11-6. His third ball attack is fantastic and he won all the close ends using this tactic.

The second semi final brought together the reigning Olympic Champion Korea’s Ryu Seung Min up against the reigning World Champion China’s Wang Liqin. The match was full of amazing rallies and great to watch. I read that one of Rye Sung Min’s tactics was to play most of his attacks up Wang’s backhand because his forehand is so good. Well you should see his backhand! The control he has is wonderful. Some of the rallies in this semi final were out of this world and it was table tennis of the highest standard.   Ryu Seung Min continually ran round his backhand to play his favoured forehand and to an extent this was successful, but he put himself under tremendous pressure and although he hit many winners he also sometimes failed to get round fast enough or was played wide to his forehand by Wang Liqin`s attacking backhand blocks. A fantastic effort from Ryu Seung Min but Wang`s greater consistency won through in the end; he won 6-11, 11-3, 11-7, 14-16, 11-6, 10-12, 11-7.

Leading 3-1 in games and 7-1 in the fifth end there appeared to be only one winner in the final, Ma Lin. This included, in the fourth game at 5-4 to Ma Lin, an amazing high lob defence rally with Wang Liqin executing forehand smash after forehand smash with Ma eventually winning the point and the end. From this desperate position, Wang appeared to relax and began to make winner after winner. When he came back from 1-7 to 7-7 and then winning 11-9, he never looked back and won the next two ends to successfully defend his title. You had to feel sorry for Ma Lin but he had contributed to a great final.