The great Ma Long was too good for Liam Pitchford in their last-64 clash at the WTT China Smash in Beijing, winning in three straight.

The Rio and Tokyo Olympic champion was beaten by Pitchford at the Bulgarian Open in 2018, but won their last match at the WTT Champions Macao last year.

The English No 1 won four of the first six points today, but Ma Long hit back and won the first 11-5 with a run of six successive points and continued his momentum into the early exchanges of the second game.

Pitchford hit back to level at 7-7, but a run of three successive points for the Chinese proved decisive. In the third, Ma Long put together a run of seven points from 4-2 down to break the back of the game and secure his place in the next round.

In the Mixed Doubles, Pitchford & Wales’ Anna Hursey were beaten in the last 32 by Yuan Licen & Shi Xunyao of China, though not without a fight as they came from 2-0 down to take it to a decider. But the Chinese pair won that 11-4.

Pitchford & Belgium’s Martin Allegro had a scintillating match against Chen Yuanyu & Zhou Qihao of China in the last 32 of the Men’s Doubles on Tuesday.

Having lost the first 11-9, Pitchford & Allegro recovered to take the second 11-6. The third was lengthy and the European pair will rue seeing eight game points pass them by, including three at 10-7. They also saved two game points before the Chinese pair won it 19-17.

Again, Pitchford & Allegro came back, a run of five points from 3-1 down in the fourth acting as the springboard to take the game 11-9 and force a decider.

Both pairs rook turns to lead, but it was the Europeans who brought up the first match point at 10-9, saved by a superb third-ball attack by the Chinese, who then notched a match point of their own, with Pitchford netting the receive to end the contest at 12-10.

Hursey & Minhyung Jee of Australia were beaten in the last 32 of the Women’s Doubles by Doo Hoi Kem (HKG) & Yangzi Liu (AUS).

Follow the tournament on the WTT YouTube channel.

Results

Men’s Singles
Round of 64
Ma Long (CHN) bt Liam Pitchford 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-7)

Women’s Doubles
Round of 32
Doo Hoi Kem (HKG) & Yangzi Liu (AUS) bt Anna Hursey (WAL) & Minhyung Jee (AUS) 3-0 (11-8, 11-2, 11-7)

Mixed Doubles
Round of 32
Yuan Licen & Shi Xunyao (CHN) bt Liam Pitchford & Anna Hursey (WAL) 3-2 (11-5, 11-6, 6-11, 3-11, 11-4)

Men’s Doubles
Round of 32
Chen Yuanyu & Zhou Qihao (CHN) bt Liam Pitchford & Martin Allegro (BEL) 3-2 (11-9, 6-11, 19-17, 9-11, 12-10)