Ma Long vs Xu Xin | 2019 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals Highlights (1/2)

He's healed himself mentally. I guess you could say it was a passive-aggressive shot. Took four games in a row, and you saw last night versus Harimoto. Backhand to backhand battle. Battle with Wang Zhendong, maybe he'd be overpowered. Stepper. And they've been back and forth a bit recently. And of course his style of play. Pop. Chop block carries. Two games versus Harimoto. It wasn't the spray, it was the adrenaline. Ooh, not able to capitalize on it. Short side on the step around, and Ma Long wrapping just in near the body. Love all. Points on the table. There's the wide inside. To reach out to the wide forehand, we know that's his one injury weakness right now. Reaches out with his head down to cover this shot. Gets way low, and then just covers the backhand right the other way off the bounce. To recover that quickly, to even make the first forehand, was impressive enough. Ma Long even on injury, never ceasing to amaze the world. It's done well. Very tough to return aggressively. Four-point differential. Barely in control, Ma Long. And as quick as can be off the bounce. Oh, Xu Xin on the move. Between 6-8 and 9-5. Quite drastic. For Xu Xin to reach. And as heavy spin as can be. Shoreline here. That is just too perfect. Heavy spin that most can't read from Xu Xin. Three game points, Ma Long. High standards for Ma Long. Similar situation. Let's see what he brings out here. Right down the line. Xu Xin with the serve. Footwork the run. 17 shots. I would say about 8 of those shots were out of this world. Ma Long to the short side. Xu Xin chases it down and still an inside-out forehand. Hooking back the other way. The reaching shot there. Lunging out to the wide forehand. Finally something. And once again. And a taste of his own medicine. Now what? Against Liang Jingkun. Against Tomokazu. Parallel backhand and Ma Long keeps. Oh my goodness! The time you saw Xu Xin before turning. You have to see a replay of that one. Oh, it's us. Disappointment. We want to see a replay of that shot. Game point back to the dictator. Profess their love and fandom for you. Xu Xin. Trying for the fill. Gives him the lead. The arcing. And even the flick game. Something about Xu Xin and his coolness. He doesn't need the timeout now. The body is strong. The human body is very strong. Tony. Weight open. 20-16. Tony! Forehand flick kill in the back edge. Move the table. I guess it would have to be touching with the free hand. Heavy spin from Ma Long at the back of the table. 11-7. And the last time they played Xu Xin won Korea. Agility is the most important thing. Not easy to do at all. Right into the heart. World Cup. That's the right play. And the side spin carries. Just earlier today. To the short side of the table. The ball is going to go. Well now. Feet. Right here. I don't know if that's the perfect turn for it. But 11-4. The cloud walker. Ziska earlier this year. That's quite a state. Xu Xin not making it easy at all. Tries to go inside out. And you can't blame him. Right into the body. The round. Especially against a low ball. Adjustment. Oh that is the danger. Xu Xin opens it up with the backhand. From under the table he gets down. And retrieves the ball. Ma Long with that drop shot. Watch this one more time. There it is. The soft touch shot. Xu Xin spins it in the quick backhand. The other way from way out in front. Back edge of the table for Ma Long. The reason I. Once again punished. Step around. Instead of go to the wide forehand. The block. Seems loose right now. Trying to start an exhibition point. Where he can be. Solid in the short game. Right in the table. It takes a lot of work. A little apology there for catching the edge of the table. But this is 90% clean. Yep. I wonder if Xu Xin would have reached it. Had it hit 100% the top of the table. Here we go back from the timeout. Xu Xin. Top of the screen. Heavy rotation. The same match. Oh and it's blocked back to the very middle of it. Trying to speak. I don't think he heard that question. He was not answering that with a head nod. His opponent. But sheer power. And Ma Long does it. One down. World number 120.