Old video from GF 1997

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBbKxELk0vM

I haven't seen this match before. This is a MS final of ProTour GF 1997 but it really looks like two players of very different caliber are playing. Samsonov had almost no problems destroying WLQ, who made tons of unforced errors... and forced, as well.

It is just amazing how he improved in just 2-3 years - after that he hardly ever lost to Samsonov (I think maybe once in all of their matches after 2000, or something like that).

I was there at the Queen Elizabeth stadium.  Unbelievable atmosphere.  I remember my friend got an autograph from Kong Linghui after the final while he was waiting for the ride back to the hotel.

Watch him hiding his serves here, though.

zeio wrote: IIRC, WLQ has a losing record against Samsonov.

Not after 2000 he has not. Check RatingsCentral.com - I think he beat him 5 times and lost once, and that's not counting Olympics and exhibition games (Europe-Asia kind etc.) where, as far as I recall, he hasn't lost to him even once.

It is strange that Ratings Central doesn't have the World Cup 2001 final match.

It is kind of natural that WLQ lost more in the beginning - he was 2 years younger... and Samsonov was world's #1 or #2 at the time in 1997-1999.

zeio wrote: It bugs me that they never met at their absolute prime. Here is a highlight of the World Cup Final in Courmayeur, Italy, with an altitude of over 4000 ft.

Very nice video - haven't seen it before.

But they are almost in their prime at the time - WLQ is #1 and world champion 23 years old, Samsonov is only 25 years old, #3 in the world etc.

It's true though that in the next 5 years WLQ was getting better and better, but I doubt that Samsonov was getting worse, it's just that the top Chinese players of that decade - WLQ, Ma Lin and Wang Hao made huge improvements while Vladi - with his game more oriented towards control and even defense - was not too successful at the majors. I think it was also his human qualities - some lack of super-killer instinct, desire to die but do everything to win a major, that kept him from winning WC and OG. Although he got a few World Cups and Euro champs under his belt. I like his style a lot, actually because it suits my game much better, and I am also a tall guy (an inch shorter than him though).