(Beijing, December 16) – Comments from Wang Hao (CHN) and Wang Liqin (CHN) after Wang Hao's victory in men's single semifinal.

Wang Hao (CHN):

About the match:

“Both of us put up a good show, but I was a little lucky. I played aggressively and dealt well with crucial shots. Wang Liqin changed the sandwich rubber of his bat shortly before the match so he had some problem with his backhand. But both of us enjoyed the match.”

About the comment on “Wang Hao will be the champion of 2008 Olympics” from Ryu Seung Min:

“Who will be the champion of 2008 doesn't depend on who says or who decides. The world's top 10 ranked are all likely to be the champion in the 2008 Olympics. We are all at the same level and most of the champions have come from the top 10 players.”

About the possible threatening opponent from Korea:

“Korea is a strong team. There are so many strong Korean players, for example , Ryu Seung Min , Oh Sang Eun, Joo Se-Hyuk.”

Wang Liqin (CHN):

About his performance:

“I made preparation carefully for this match because I lost to Wang Hao five times before. I made both mental and technical readjustment. But I did badly at the control of service and the following two returns, and was almost in a passive position.”

About his opponent Wang Hao:

“Wang Hao did well controlling rallies; his backhand was also excellent. He developed his forte at crucial points.”

About the possibility to attend qualification competition:

“The qualification competition for 2008 Olympics isn’t bad news for me , which means I'll have more opportunities to develop new strategic awareness and technique. I'll cherish all these experiences and feelings. I will try to learn more from competitions without caring too much abut the ranking or scores.”

About the Ping-Pong diplomacy:

“Table tennis played an important role in the bilateral relations between China and the United States. Although I didn't witness that historic period, I took part in some friendship competitions in the USA recently. I'll try my best to strengthen the friendly ties between the two nations and attract more people to table tennis.”