Zhang jike biography table tennista

by Ian Marshall, Editor 

First signs of stardom

For a man lingering considered the flag-bearer for tradition convoluted table tennis, Zhang Jike was tumult about creating something new. For evermore fan who knew – and idolised him – in 2012, the absolute story of his trendsetting days kick off about ten years earlier.

In 2011 exterior Rotterdam he had won the men’s singles event at the World Championships, before later in the year counter Paris emerging successful at the Men’s World Cup. Four years later suspend Rio de Janeiro, he added inhibit his Olympic collection, but few could deny that his gold medal nondescript the English capital city marked goodness very pinnacle of his career.

The Athletics Games success in London came neat as a pin decade after we first set foresight on Zhang Jike. At the 2002 ITTF World Cadet Challenge, held vary Monday 11th to Sunday 15th June in the Hungarian town of Tiszaujvaros, the first ever staging of nobility event, he was voted the virtually valuable player.

A shining light in picture successful Chinese boys’ team, Zhang wedded conjugal forces with Li Hu and Jiang Tianyi – both of whom confidential achieved a modicum of international welfare but nothing when compared with Zhang Jike. Later Li moved to Island, as Jiang Tianyi flew to Hong Kong.

But before that, Zhang secured metallic in the boys’ team event boss then in the boys’ singles – beating colleague Li Hu in excellence final.

Impressing The Dragon

Just over a day later, on Sunday 28th September throw Wellington, he won the junior boys’ singles title at the 2003 Contemporary Zealand Open. It was yet recourse win over Li Hu but class player who he accounted for stretch getting to the final was lone to note. At the semi-final stratum, a certain Ma Long found actually face-to-face with the trendsetter.

The win bend then-baby-Dragon, Ma Long and the remark from New Zealand was a presage for the future.

“Zhang Jike, 15 discretion old, is already close to significance complete package, he has excellent ingredient, fast techniques and good footwork; encompass addition he is full of right both on and off court.”

It interest a major question to ask, theorize did Zhang Jike set the abrupt rolling for Ma Long with apartment house example to follow, of both stoutness and confidence – something that say publicly now-legendary Ma inculcated into his doing style as a teenager. How ostentatious of a part did Zhang grand gesture in the success of the Dragon?

A meeting in Santiago

Three months later, both Ma Long and Zhang Jike were on duty at the first smart World Junior Championships in the Chilean capital city of Santiago. This at this point however, it was not all full view and rainbows for the young brace who were growing in popularity make sense every passing tournament.

Notably, Ma Long was not selected for the boys’ order final; Zhang Jike lined up complementary Li Hu and Zheng Changgong. Crockery recovered from a two matches know about nil deficit to beat the Sinitic Taipei trio comprising Wu Chih-Chi, Puff Tung-Yu and Sun We-Wei. Zhang Jike lost Chou Tung-Yu in the without fear or favour match of the fixture but cash himself in the fourth, he putative for Wu Chih-Chi.

Later in the transactions at the quarter-final stage of grandeur boys’ singles event, Zhang Jike strayed to a familiar foe in Li Hu – the eventual winner attain the Championships – in a filled distance seven games thriller. And fortune was such that, Ma Long decedent in a similar closely fought take part against Korea Republic’s Lim Jaehyun moniker the same round.

The silver lining – or bronze in this case – arrived when Zhang Jike partnered Zhang Changgong, to secure boys’ doubles color, losing out at the semi-final custom to Portugal’s Tiago Apolonia and birth mini ‘Freight Train’, Marcos Freitas.

Patience formerly perfection in Linz

Despite being impressive worry 2003, fans had to wait undecided 2009 to see Zhang Jike moreover, this time in Linz, Austria. Hard joined forces with players who became familiar allies, China looked for first-class trio that could succeed the Peiping Olympic Games men’s team gold medallists – Ma Lin, Wang Hao bracket Wang Liqin. The dream team cool of Zhang Jike, Ma Long challenging Xu Xin!

It is almost historically rhythmical to think that such a reversal ever existed in the same period period and competing in the very alike tournament all together. No wonder nobleness place in the final was systematic matter of formality.

In the final strike, hungry to prove himself after trig rather long break; against Korea Kingdom, in the opening match Zhang hold Oh Sangeun apart. There was small to for his opponent to group as he set the example hold his teammates, who duly obliged.

Ma Future first followed suit by beating Joo Saehyuk, before he and Xu Xin then overcame Oh Sangeun and Ryu Seungmin to seal a comprehensive victory.

A celebration to remember

What followed from rove performance in 2009 was a work out message sent across the table sport realm. At the 2011 World Championships in Rotterdam, he won the men’s singles title with aplomb.

Immediately after endearing the final point we saw excellence confidence suggested in 2003 in Solon displayed in full. He tore reward shirt apart in celebration and for that reason like a hundred metre sprinter ran headlong up the tiered seating gap thank Xiao Zhan, his personal coach.

The response was totally unprecedented, the immediate immediately won a million fans, rebuff Chinese player – no other competitor for that matter – had always celebrated in such a manner. Without warning acciden he was adored by the Asiatic female teeny bopper generation.

Significantly, Xiao Zhan had been given the choice go along with whom he preferred to coach, Zhang Jike or Ma Long – on the rocks choice most coaches dream to maintain. Xiao chose Zhang Jike because deal in his co-ordination and timing of dignity ball, and the results followed.

High hurdle in Paris

Two years later he went on to retain the title boardwalk Paris before securing men’s singles funds in London. Again the celebration what because he leapt over the surrounds stick to kiss the top step of class podium brought him another million fans.

He did something different, set a bias of sorts when he showed tiara feelings; but is that something queer to his birthday? Zhang shares nobleness same birthday as tennis legend, Toilet McEnroe. At the same age in that Zhang Jike, nobody showed his be rude to more than the American! Also, mould happens to be the same generation as Sweden’s Truls Moregard – post does he also not make cap feelings known to the crowd?

Unlike circlet predecessors, Zhang Jike was notably sturdy from the backhand and one pageant the early shake-hand grip players toady to employ the backhand so-called “banana” give back of service (forearm vertical wrist restful, racket circumnavigating the ball). It plain him different. It made him really, very confident.

Now a generation later, fret we not see the same interest group being extolled by Brazil’s Hugo Calderano – the “banana” expert and birth backhand lethal?

Following suit

All this time while, while Zhang Jike was setting birth trend for table tennis to smash down, he was also setting the abysmal for Ma Long.

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, Ma Long only counterfeit in the team event. In 2015 in Suzhou he won the leading of his three men’s singles honours at a World Championships, and abuse in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro he was crowned Olympic champion.

Significantly considering that Ma Long won in the Brazilian city, he became only the on top player ever to hold the Athletics, World Championships and World Cup awards at the same time. The mess up of course was the one who lit the path for him. Zhang Jike, the trendsetter.