A new look, a new start for Wang Nan. (Photo: Xinhua)

Having cut her hair short, Wang Nan looks more mature and feminine.
One of the most decorated ping pong stars in the world, the 27-year-old has steeled herself after a string of defeats.
Wang was only seven when she started her table tennis career at the Fushun sports school in Liaoning Province. Brought up in a poor family, she toughened up early in her life. Only after she had enough ball practice was she allowed a cup of water by her father who believed her daughter was destined for great things.
Wang trained hard to join the Liaoning provincial team at 11 and make it to the top eight at the 7th National Games at 14 - a result that was good enough to secure a spot in the national team. She had been coached by Zeng Chuanqiang - mentor of former world champion Qiao Hong - for three years, which laid a solid foundation for Wang's future.
"A successful athlete more or less has a different personality," said Zeng. "So does Wang Nan. She never quits easily and is cleverer than the other girls. With medium power and speed, she uses tactics very well.
"Qiao Hong and Wang Nan are the most successful students of mine. Qiao is tenacious and solid while Wang has wits and inspirations."
In the runup to the 1996 Olympic Games, Wang Nan became a charge of new coach Lu Yuansheng.
"My first impression was that Wang Nan was very clever and wanted to better others but she had less patience. She dared to be mad at senior teammates," said Lu.
For more battle experience, Wang Nan competed in the Asian qualifying tournament for the Atlanta Olympics although the Chinese lineup had already been decided.
In the 44th world championship in Manchester, England, in 1997, Wang Nan was included in the Chinese roster as a fourth player behind Deng Yaping, Yang Ying and Li Ju. In the team semifinal against Germany, Yang Ying beat Nicole Struse, Deng downed Jie Schopp and Wang Nan escaped a loss. Because of that game, Wang lost her berth in the championship final.
"I was mad about being benched for the final and I vowed that someday everybody would be watching and enjoying my game," Wang recalled.
Several days later, Wang Nan took on then world No. 1 Deng Yaping in a singles final. "After taking the first set, I was daydreaming and lost the following three sets," said Wang. "But I was still happy I didn't lose in straight sets."
In the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Wang Nan swept four gold medals after beating Koyama Chire, a former Chinese world champion who switched allegiance to Japan and upset Deng Yaping in the 1994 Asiad.
"The Bangkok Games was the turning point," said Lu Yuansheng. "Wang has become a different person since."
In the 1999 world championship in Eindhoven, Wang Nan came from two sets down to beat teammate Zhang Yining to clinch her first world singles gold. In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Wang survived four match points to edge out Singapore's Li Jia Wei for the gold.
"My object for 1996-2000 was simple: To be world champion and the top ranked player," said Wang. "In Sydney, I knew I would win over Li Jia Wei even after being down 1-2 and 16-20 in the fourth set."
But 2002 was a disastrous year for Wang Nan. She lost two points in China's 2-3 loss to Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the women's team final at the Busan Asian Games and yielded her singles crown to Zhang Yining.
But she recovered to claim a hat-trick of wins at the 2003 world championship in Paris but lost to Li Jia Wei at the Athens Olympics.
While leaving the court, Wang faked a smile and shook hands with teammates who came to console her.
"I kept reminding myself: 'Don't cry! Don't cry,"' Wang said of her feeling then. She didn't take the shuttle bus and walked all the way from the competition venue to the Athletes' Village - a walk, she says, seemed like lasting for a year. She said she never felt so lonely before.
"Table tennis is my life," said Wang. "I feel the end of the world if I lose a game. I lost sleep after the Olympics. All of a sudden, I realized the meaning of the sport. No matter how good I am, I will be surpassed sooner or later. So I just want to enjoy it as long as I can."
Reigning Olympic champion Zhang Yining spoke highly of her doubles partner. "Wang Nan is a mature, honest and hardworking athlete. We both are emulative and tenacious but we are different in expressing our feelings. I have learned a lot from her," Zhang said.
In the ITTF Pro Tour Finals in Beijing in late 2004, Wang Nan beat Zhang Yining but lost to youngster Guo Yue. "I was not upset about the defeat," said Wang. "I see myself as a new national team member who has just started her career.
"The Shanghai world championship is a new challenge for me and I will do my best. The gold medal is my goal. When I pick up a bat, no one can say for sure she will beat me."


Wang Nan Factfile
Date of birth: Oct. 23, 1978
Height: 163cm
World ranking: 3

Wang plays in handshake grip a topspin game characterized with speed and spin and she serves low-toss or high-toss that sidespins, backspins or doesn't spin, to set up her attack. While returning serves, she uses placement shots and rhythm to rattle her opponent. Wang is even in forehand and backhand and her backhand can hit and drive. Her footwork isn't the best and her power wasn't the strongest but she is one of the most tactics-conscious players in the world and rarely chokes at clutch moments. Her forehand sideways attack following her own serve is always deadly.

Results:
Asian championships:
1st in team, doubles and mixed doubles in Singapore in 1996
1st in team, singles and mixed doubles in Osaka, Japan, in 1998
Asian Cup:
4th in singles in New Delhi in 1996
Asian Games:
1st in team, singles, doubles and mixed doubles in Bangkok in 1998
1st in team, 2nd in singles, semifinalist in doubles and mixed doubles in Busan, South Korea, in 2002
Asian youth championships:
1st in team and singles in Japan in 1994
Asian Top 12:
1st in singles in 1999
ITTF Pro Tour Finals:
1st in doubles, 2nd in singles in Hong Kong in 1997
1st in singles and doubles in Paris in 1998
1st in doubles in Melbourne, Australia, in 1999
2nd in singles, semifinalist in doubles in Osaka, Japan, in 2000
1st in singles in Hainan, China
2nd in doubles, semifinalist in singles in Guangzhou, China, in 2003
1st in doubles, semifinalist in singles in Beijing in 2004
World Cup
1st in Shanghai in 1997
1st in Taipei in 1998
2nd in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 1998
1st in Hong Kong in 2003
2nd in Hangzhou, China, in 2004
World championships:
Quarterfinalist in singles, top 16 in doubles in Tianjin in 1995
1st in team, 2nd in singles and doubles, semifinalist in mixed doubles
in Manchester, England, in 1997
1st in team, singles and doubles, semifinalist in mixed doubles in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, in 1999
1st in team in Kuala Lumpur in 2000
1st in team, singles and doubles in Osaka, Japan, in 2001
1st in singles, doubles and mixed doubles in Paris in 2003
1st in team in Doha, Qatar, in 2004
Olympic Games:
1st in singles and doubles in Sydney in 2000
1st in doubles, quarterfinalist in singles in Athens in 2004