Held in Beijing, China on December 13-16 2007, the Volkswagen Pro Tour Grand Finals featured some of China’s best table tennis athletes squaring off with the rest of the world.

By now, everyone may have read how the Chinese squad crushed the competition with ease by capturing first and second places in most of the events. The only exception was the Women’s Doubles. Personally, I tip my hat to the total domination from the host country.

Labeled “Good Luck Beijiing,” the tournament was held at the Peking University Gymnasium built specifically for table tennis play. This tournament featured the world’s top players including Ma Lin and Hao Shuai from China, Timo Boll from Germany, Li Ching from Hong Kong and Vladimir Samsonov from Belarus, among others.

There were many first-class table tennis players, which made for a very intense display of speed, power, and skill. This was also a preview of talent that will be at the 2008 Olympics held in the same country.

One particular match I enjoyed the most featured fast speeds and superb skills. Featuring Wang Hao and Ryu Seung Min, this first round match set the tone for the rest of the tournament.

They say opposites attract and this match-up was no exception. Wang’s backhand versus Ryu’s forehand was a combination that excited the crowd. Here’s a peek at the match…

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