Ovtcharov loses Olympic revenge against Ma Long
German table tennis star Dimitrij Ovtcharov has lost his Olympic rematch against China's Ma Long.
At the WTT Champions Tournament in Frankfurt, the former world number one lost 0:3 sets (7:11, 7:11, 7:11) to the three-time singles world champion in the quarter-finals.
The 35-year-old Ovtcharov is still waiting for his first win against what he considers to be the best table tennis player in history. The score between the two is 20-0 in favor of Ma Long after 20 head-to-head matches at international tournaments.
The most famous and best match between the two was the semi-final at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Ma Long, who is also 35 years old, only won against Ovtcharov 11:9 in the seventh set.
His semi-final opponent in Frankfurt is now 17-year-old Frenchman Felix Lebrun. The world number eight won 3:2 against the Timo Boll conqueror Lee Sang Su from South Korea after fending off a match point.
Despite the loss at the Olympic Games, Dimitrij Ovtcharov once again faced Ma Long in the quarter-finals of the WTT Champions Tournament in Frankfurt. Sadly, Ovtcharov continued his winless streak against the three-time singles world champion, losing 0-3 sets in the tournament. Despite being considered one of the best table tennis players in history, Ma Long maintained his 20-0 record against Ovtcharov.
Source: www.dpa.com
