Best of The Best

Best forehand: Wang Liqin, China
The lanky Wang has the strongest muscle groups as a table tennis player, which is the result of years of hard training. He is the physically strongest in Asia and has agility rarely seen in European players. He hits the ball early and has a killer forehand drive with precision. Unlike traditional Chinese topspin players who are dangerous only while playing close to the table, Wang is as deadly close to the table as away from.

Best backhand: Kalinikos Kreanga, Greece

Before playing table tennis, Kreanga practiced gymnastics. No wonder why he can flex his arm in his backhand loop in a way that nobody else can. He is rather below average height. With his small size he can afford to make longer strokes, because he can get ready for the next shot easier. If you are average height, and attempt his shots, there is no way you could make them consistently with his kind of power.

Best serve: Liu Guoliang, China

No one has reached Liu Guoliang's height in terms of serving with pips-in and pips-out rubbers. He is able to add strong spin to his serves, especially his forehand backspin serve. With nearly the same flick of the wrist, Liu can serve with forehand rubber and backhand rubber, serve lefty topspin and backspin, righty topspin and backspin. He can easily set up for killer smashes with a slew of wicked serves.

Best receive: Liu Guoliang, China

Liu has different ways to receive serves. He can loop, smash, push, chop-block and flip serves. He can receive with either forehand or backhand, long or short, straight or diagonal. More important, he has a perfect touch. Also nominated: Jan-Ove Waldner(Sweden), Kong Linghui (China)

Best short ball: Ma Lin

While Liu Guoliang has the best receive, Ma Lin is the most consistent and dangerous in short returns. He has the best control and connection in short balls.

Best footwork: Ryu Seung Min, South Korea

South Koreans, mostly playing with pip-in rubber in the penhold grip, have the best footwork in the world. Ryu covers as much space as Kim Taek Soo but is even faster and has better judgment than his compatriot. He is more aggressive because he plays closer to the table than Kim.

Best tactics: Liu Guoliang, China; Ryu Seung Min, South Korea

Around 1995, Liu Guoliang was the most tactics-conscious in the world. In the 21st century, Ryu has caught up with the Chinese. In the 2004 Olympics, Ryu used the well-thought tactics to beat immensely experienced Swede Jan-Ove Waldner and Chinese upstart Wang Hao to win the singles gold medal. Liu is faster than Ryu but the South Korean is bolder in tactics execution.

Best choppers: Ding Song, China; Joo Se Hyuk, South Korea

South Korean Joo Se Hyuk and Chinese Ding Song are the best and most crowd-pleasing defensive players in the world. Ding brought a revolutionary style to the sport by mixing chops with loops and counter-drives. Ding has a good serve and has a sudden and strong forehand drive. Joo has modern active defensive play with a great backhand chop and an enormous forehand topspin.

Best block: Chiang Peng-Lung, Chinese Taipei

Chiang has the most consistent backhand block among the penholders. His jab-block is good enough to offset heavy-spin drives.