Rye: China's Wang Hao is a lot more competitive than I

(BEIJING, March 13) -- Rye Seung-min of the Republic of Korea, the 2004 Athens Olympic Games men's table tennis singles champion, said Wang Hao of China is actually more competitive than him. Rye defeated Wang in the finals in Athens.

He said in a documentary filmed by China Central Television (CCTV): "China's paddles are too hard to beat as they compete on home turf."

Rye rose to fame in Athens by overwhelming Wang Hao, who had defeated him seven times before the Olympic Games final.

He lost to Wang five times in a row after the Olympic Games. "I only won once, but it was at the Olympics," he said.

He recalled what happened to Wang at the final. "I took a 3-1 lead then and I found that he began to lose his nerve."

When Wang came back by winning the next set, Rye said he felt a little nervous. "I tried to stop myself from feeling nervous as the final victory was few steps away."

"At the final, I figured that as long as I held up my concentration, I had a chance to become the champion despite my consecutive losses to him."