by Ian Marshall, Editor

Is he to some extent in the same situation as was his compatriot, the now retired Li Xiaoxia before the London 2012 Olympic Games?

Facing teammates; in Zagreb in 2007, she had been beaten in the final of the World Championships by Guo Yue; two years later in Yokohama once again Guo Yue had proved her nemesis at the semi-final stage, before in 2011 in Rotterdam, she suffered in the final at the hand of Ding Ning.

She gained the name “Miss Number Two”; in 2012 she set the record straight by winning women’s singles gold at the London Olympic Games, before the following year reserving the top step of the podium at the Liebherr 2013 World Championships.

Li Xiaoxia set the record straight; she showed her class, her mental strength. It is an example for Lin Gaoyuan who yet to make the major breakthrough.

Did Lin Gaoyuan, although beaten by Ma Long in the final, not show the essential  qualities in Doha to move to the next step and not be the nearly man?

They ke factor is that he prevailed in the close matches, situations where in the past he has fallen short. In the opening round he beat Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar, a player in the form of his life, by the narrowest of seven game margins (7-11, 4-11, 12-10, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 11-9), before at the semi-final stage experiencing a similar mental test when facing another European player in form, Sweden’s Mattias Falck, the no.12 seed (7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9).

Could succeeding in those contests be just the boost Lin Gaoyuan needs with the Liebherr 2019 World Championships on the horizon?

Moreover, he has another factor to add to his bank of confidence; he will commence play in the Hungarian capital city as the leading name on the Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour men’s singles standings; when the listing are announced he will be in top spot, a total of 550 points.