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2021 National Games of China
SportChina

National Games: Fan Zhendong beats Ma Long to give Guangdong win, Chen Meng helpless to stop Liaoning

  • World No 1 Fan Zhendong gets revenge for Olympic final loss as Guangdong secure first team table tennis gold in 24 years
  • Chen Meng wins first game for Shandong but Liaoning bounce back to leave world No 1 with silver

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Table tennis player Fan Zhendong in action. Photo: Xinhua
Jonathan White
World No 1 Fan Zhendong got some revenge on No 2 Ma Long for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games men’s singles final as he beat his international teammate to help Guangdong to a first China National Games men’s table tennis gold for 24 years.
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Defending Olympic champion Ma and top seed Fan met in Tokyo for the men’s singles final before winning gold as part of the men’s team that beat Germany.

Fan opened the final with a 3-0 singles win over Beijing’s Wang Chuqin before Ma Long levelled the match score with a 3-0 win of his own against Zhou Qihao, coming back from 8-6 down in the opening game.

Guangdong’s Lin Gaoyuan then put the pressure on Beijing with a 3-1 win over Yan An before Fan and Ma put in a thrilling singles contest.

Fan (left) and Ma (right) pose with teammate Xu Xin and coach Qin Zhijian after winning the men’s team gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: EPA
Fan (left) and Ma (right) pose with teammate Xu Xin and coach Qin Zhijian after winning the men’s team gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: EPA
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Fan took first blood with an 11-7 game win before Ma bounced back with an 11-8 win to level it at 1-1.

Ma then took the advantage after winning the third game 11-7 before Fan showed his steel. The fourth game finished 12-10 to Fan, after he fought back from 10-9 down.

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