The Indian singles challenge at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics came to a screeching halt after Sharath Kamal lost 4-1 to China’s Ma Long in Table Tennis men’s singles third round on Tuesday. The Indian lost 7-11, 11-8, 11-13, 4-11, 4-11 in a match that lasted 46 minutes.

Ma Long, known to his fans as ‘The Dictator’, was playing his first match of the Tokyo Summer Games as he had gotten byes in his previous round. Sharath, on the other hand, had notched up two victories and looked in good form.

Although the task against Ma Long was bound to be difficult as the Chinese is the current world champion and is also the defending Olympic champion.

As the match started, Sharath was the first between the two to take the first point as he looked confident and knew that he had his task cut out for him. But it was soon when Ma Long got fired up and started winning points easily.

Even though the Chinese was playing his first match, he didn’t look rusty as he continued to force Sharath into making unforced errors. However, the Indian did find inspiration at some points of the game and got points under his belt. Although it was not enough.

Sharath Kamal lost the first game 7-11.

Ahead of the start of the Summer Games, Ma Long, who is considered the most successful player in the history of the sport, had said that he will aim to not drop any games en route to Olympic glory. And if he does, he will not be doing a service to his country.

He could not keep his promise as the 39-year-old Indian got a game off of the Chinese in the second game. The Indian, at one point, was leading 5-1 as the Chinese looked out of sorts. It wasn’t late when the Indian ran away with the game, winning it 11-8.

What worked for him was swift wristy play and targetted the short side of the table, not allowing Ma Long to get back for the shot.

But it was countered by Ma Long in the following games as none of the techniques that the Indian paddler used against his Chinese counterpart seemed to work.

By the time the fourth game started, Ma Long was unbeatable and started winning points with ease, dishing out pain to the Indian. The way he controlled the ball and the game showed that he indeed is an Olympic champion.

Since the 2007 world tour, these two opponents met four times, with the Chinese emerging victorious all the time. Three of them were without dropping a set.