ML winning here is not unlike Samsonov, who won his 3rd World Cup at 33 in 2009 after beating ML (
3-4 Oh Sangeun in the Grp) and CQ. It still didn't change the fact that he didn't get past Waldner (3-2 Samsonov at Sydney 2000) until the latter was already on the way out at WTTC 2005 (26 vs 40). Was Waldner not in front of Samsonov, the same way that Samsonov was in front of ML and CQ or even that Oh Sangeun was in front of ML?
The problem with that kind of longevity is that they (with more experience) compete against players from a later generation (still developing), which is what FZD meant when he said
ML was the greatest of this era but that
he and ML were not from the same era and that he had just hit the road.
Harimoto also touched on
the experience gap between ML and FZD at WTTC 2017, as well as
between himself and LJK at WTTC 2023 and that's perhaps why FZD and he didn't win.
When you become stronger than your father, is it because he got older or you got older or somewhere in between? Who controls that timeline and narrative? That is why father time is undefeated.
People just want to beat their opponents. I understand and accept the narrative as a way of showing how somewhat rare, prodigious and impressive something like what ZJK did might be in some context, and it makes more sense as a story in the context of a generational national team. These are all narratives with some merit but with their limitations as well. Was Samsonov thinking about Waldner as his primary rival in a meaningful sense? Maybe there is evidence of this, but I don't know or see it. We still have someone like Stellan Bengston who on his title at a young age - what was he overthrowing? In the context of a national team, was it more impressive that Zhang Jike beat Wang Hao or that Wang Hao was still playing at a high level in 2013? The same with Ma Long - does he get more credit for being able to play at 31, or does the generation behind him get more blame for being unable to defeat him at 31?
When ML beats ZJK, is he beating someone from his era or just the player in front of him? And when Kong Ling Hui beats Waldner, is he beating someone from a prior era or just someone in front of him? Did Wang Hao really beat someone from his era or the previous era when he beat Wang Liqin in the WTTC in 20009 final? Does ZJK's lack of longevity count for or against him?
You probably have a strict and consistent answer, that one must overthrow the prior generation. But when Wang Liqin or Ryu are beating Waldner in 2004, are they really overthrowing the prior generation? And when Boll loses to Waldner, is he losing because he could not, or just because on that particular day, for whatever reason, he failed to beat the opponent in front of him?
As great as the narratives are, I understand why they put ZJK's achievement in 2011 and maybe 2012 in a certain light. But as arguments against Ma Long being a GOAT, I am not convinced. After all, Ma Long on some level did precisely what WH failed to do - does he get credit for that or does Wang Hao get knocked for that?
