Wang proves himself

　　THINK about who your biggest rival (对手) is. Sometimes it's the one you see in the mirror.

　　To be successful often all you need is self-confidence. Chinese table tennis player Wang Liqin has just shown this.

　　The 28-year-old young man from Shanghai won the singles title at the World Table Tennis Championships in Croatia (克罗地亚) on Sunday. He beat his teammate Ma Lin in the final (决赛).

　　Besides great skills, he showed real strength.

　　"I focus on winning one point and then another," Wang says, "I don't think any further ahead."

　　However, before this game some people had criticized Wang for being immature (不成熟). There's never been any doubt about his power as a player. But if someone got ahead, he would sometimes lose point after point until he lost the match.

　　Now he takes advice from his coaches. Also, after matches, he thinks about his mistakes and how to fix them. Now he's a cool customer at the table. His critics have begun to shut up.

　　"Wang is much calmer now under pressure. He's much more mature now," said chief coach Liu Guoliang.

　　Off court, Wang is a quiet person. He likes to write a diary. He records his feelings about training and matches, but also his other hobbies.

　　The diary also shows his light-hearted side. He loves F1 racing. "I love the clothes they wear," he says. "And watching the races gives me a big kick."