In a sentence

He was known as “Europe’s last elegance” — nearly two metres tall, yet able to play the ball as precisely as a chess move.

Playing style

  • His height and reach gave him enormous coverage; almost nothing was open in the mid- and long-distance game
  • Two-winged loops with precise placement, changing lines gently but lethally
  • Fine control of rhythm, happy to wear opponents down in steady rallies

Career and key moments

He took men’s singles silver at the 1997 World Championships, then climbed to the top of the World Cup three times — 1999, 2001 and 2009 — a mark still unmatched by any European in the men’s event. His career spanned more than two decades, across both the peak and the decline of European table tennis, and he stayed a presence near the top of the world throughout.

What he left the game

Together with Timo Boll, he formed the most enduring pair of European rivals Chinese men’s table tennis faced over two decades. For fans, his game was a reminder that table tennis could also be beautiful to watch.

In a sentence: Playing beautifully and playing to win can, in fact, happen at the same time.