FULL MATCH | MA Long vs GAUZY Simon | MT F | #ITTFWorlds2024

He blurs the lines in terms of what is possible from certain areas, all the talent in the world but against Ma Long, how can you make those chances for yourself because he is the master of suffocation, the master of making you feel uncomfortable, making you feel like you can't really play how you want to play. Only player to ever complete a career double grand slam. Now the twilight you might argue of his career, still a world number three. Now goes he and snatch something here, you then go into a fourth match where Felix LeBron has another opportunity. Goes back into block goes he, punch as well, had it all there but the movement was so dynamic. Look at this, that's what you got to do there, he didn't keep wanting to loop to loop, he knew his only chance was if he came in closer. Yeah he decided he was going to take the initiative. Started this match fair to France, they've really been very positive today haven't they? Of course, that's their style, that's their nature. They know they have to intimidate China. Unbelievable from Gauzy. That was an earlier point, that so impressed us. Then he comes in, four-point lead here for Gauzy. First serve, Gauzy never saw that coming. No space to maneuver. And if you're ever going to beat Ma Long, final chapter and he's himself Ma Long. There were emotional scenes in Durban last year. The world champs had a lovely speech in both Mandarin and English. He was basically signing off. He will be dearly missed. He will be, he really really will be. Six points clear, Simon Gauzy. Last year he, very publicly said, he feels a lot less pressure now. As we said in the final chapter, the twilight of his career. Got his family to think about now. He's enjoying, he said, his table tennis more. Only lost one match in 2015 and it was to a teammate, Shang Kun, when Japan opened. That's how good he was, that's how good he is still. In his heyday, no one could come close. We have to go right below the table. Look at this here, nice touch from Gauzy. Ma Long letting the ball drop more, so he can actually get more dwell. You're encouraged to take it early, but that isn't always the case. Three points in it. Oh, and off the edge, on that corner. He breathes a deep breath there, Gauzy. There was some relief there. So cunning from Ma Long here. The first of four game points saved. Simon Gauzy takes the first game here against Ma Long. Ma Long in three consecutive world championships. Ma Long could have won five or six if it wasn't for him. Yeah, but no hard feelings. It's all done for the greater good of Team China. Let's see how he bounces back, Ma Long. Lost to Lee Sang Soo. Coming back here nicely, positively, didn't he? Even though he lost it and he's kept that momentum going into this one. I honestly don't think a French player has ever beaten Ma Long. Alexi hasn't done it, Felix, Gauzy's never done it, Leveson never did it, and the ones that were playing before this trio, to my knowledge, never did it either. He treats European players like a doormat, Ma Long. It was Timo Boll who was and still is one of the most respected players by Team China, who showed it was possible time and time again, and also Vladimir Samsonov. Well, this is more than Ma Long people might be used to. Well, that's a great way to get your first point on the board. He's far behind though, Gauzy. Get some respite there by giving Ma Long a whiplash. Revved over that one. We're seeing some incredible step around pivots. Gauzy has a shot there that Ma Long doesn't play. The forehand of Ma Long is unparalleled. I mean, for all intents and purposes, this is effectively the last world championship match we're going to see of Ma Long. Maybe he'll play Qatar singles next year. Really? That's what the speech was all about in Durban. Gauzy, excuse me, the LeBrons have been doing stuff like that as well all day. That was just too low, wasn't it? Yeah, he's surging. He's really in control here, Ma Long. He's turned this match on its head because it was almost an identical start from Gauzy in the first game. The last game, but Ma Long learns so quickly, doesn't he? Snatching there, Gauzy. Frustrated game points to the dragon. That's because of his creativity and flair, his consistency, his ability to improvise. Gauzy, a man who's even beaten Xu Xin at the 2019 World Championships in Budapest, where he reached the quarterfinal. But it's Ma Long's timelessness. He's seen so many legendary threats come and go, and he's outlived, outlasted them all. The best in the face of adversity. A true student of the game with such a youthful spirit. Stamps his authority through that one. Is this the turning point? Yeah, I think it's safe to say. Ma Long, that one was a real big message from him in the second game. That's classic, isn't it, Ma Long? Yeah, if the serve is at all predictable, which only really would be for the very, very best, it's over. Well, on the left there is our Olympic gold medalist at the Rio Games, and next to her is her partner, Jun Li, also a para-table tennis player. How often do we see this, when a Chinese player has been stung, he repays you back with interest, and then some. It's like you're prodding at the bee's nest. Yeah, exactly. You almost ask him for it. Gauzy's on the receiving end right now. Look at the way he scurries out there, Ma. The speed from Gauzy, though. Yeah, he's got that, hasn't he? It's all over it. Like a rush. Where are you seeing, we just talked about the Olympics, where do you see Gauzy's part in the Olympics? For me, it's a guaranteed first. I mean, you'd imagine that Alexei will be at number two, right? There isn't that many differences in ranking between Gauzy and Alexei. I mean, that performance just now shows you what he can do. Exactly, that said. Look at that. 23 of the last 32, Ma Long's way. Gauzy took Fan Zhendong to five games at the Olympics, at the team event. How much between him and Alexei? You could see him in other disciplines, though, other sub-events. 100% the team event, right? I mean, this is the indication, being number three, and will Ma Long be? Look where you are, yeah. Will Ma Long be number three, or will he be there in singles, with a chance to win his third gold? Raining down. Not plussed by that, Gauzy. Nice pace on that one from Ma Long. Each one of the best lobbers in the game, Gauzy. It was nice to see Jim Mitsutani up here in the He was one of them as well. Six game points now for Ma Long. He looks a different animal from where he was in that first one. What a story. You just can't help but be in armour at this moment. Three big points here in this potential final game, unless Gauzy can do something here. It's a must-win game. Gauzy sometimes plays a lot better when he's losing. He needs to do something pretty soon, though. This is so good. It's not the special things. It's not the flamboyant things that are making the difference here. It's the subtle things. It's a little bit more deception in Ma Long's game. A lot of Europeans try to go for deception in a more extreme way, but with China, they are the best at the simple things. They're the best at making it simple, which is actually a very hard thing to do, but once you develop your technique in this way, it's in the hard bit. The two big brothers of this team, or their teams rather. A lead of three here for Ma Long. His first World Team Championship coming in 2006 in Bremen. He's got a whopping eight championship goals. Brilliant switch from Gauzy here. Lovely on the backhand, down the line. Again there, square to the table, just to find that forehand, the wider forehand of Ma Long. Three away now. There will be only a couple of points left maybe. Pound cake flip, comes in looking like he's going to push it, and plays it flat. So tricky. Four championship points now for Ma Long and China.