The Ronald Susilo-Li Jiawei romance started soon after they met in May 2002, at an event for athletes bound for the Manchester Commonwealth Games that year.

Susilo, who had come to Singapore in 1993 to study at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), was smitten by Li, who had come to Singapore in 1996 to play table tennis full-time.

Although he hardly spoke Mandarin and she spoke little English, he made his move via text messages in hanyu pinyin.

They shared a passion for fine food and movies.

Susilo "loved everything about her", he had said in 2004. To Li, he was the consummate gentleman - honest, sincere and not one to mind opening doors for her and holding her handbag.

He popped the question shortly after they returned from the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, proposing with, according to Susilo, an "over one-carat" ring.

Although a date was never set, the couple had hinted that they would formally tie the knot after this year's Beijing Olympics.

Their engagement crowned a significant year for them as, on the sporting front, both enjoyed major successes.

He won the Japan Open, his first major title, in May and also reached the quarter-finals of the Olympics.

She narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal, finishing fourth in the women's singles event.

The following year, they scored a Singapore first, when they were crowned Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year at the Singapore Sports Awards as a couple.

But, just when all looked bright, their love life took a nosedive.

In 2006, there were whispers that the relationship was on the rocks. The cracks were apparently due to cultural differences.

For one, Li felt that he was too much of a mummy's boy.

As she told Her World magazine in 2005: "I think he's too obedient. His is a conservative and traditional family, so he's used to deferring to them too much. But he's an adult now, and I want him to make his own decisions."

She could not see why he had to consult his parents when he bought the car, and was not too keen on the idea of hosting his family at their condominium.

It did not help that they also had contrasting personalities.

Susilo - the youngest of four children of a Jakarta businessman and housewife - is the ever-obliging and smiling boy next door, who had endless patience with his fiancee.

Li, an only child of a Beijing government official and housewife, is said to be quick-tempered and used to getting her way.

As she told The Sunday Times in a 2004 interview: "Ronald's the more patient one. I'm bad at masking my emotions. When I am mad, I show it. When I'm glad, I show it - which is why Ronald's patience is so important in this relationship.

"That he does not get angry when I am angry saves us from quarrelling.

"He will let me have my way and, when I cool down, we'll talk about things."

But patience was not enough.

Starville condominium: Ronald Susilo and Li Jiawei had bought a unit there during their happier times.

Underlying their problems, though, was language. Neither mastered the other's mother tongue, which made it difficult to communicate with each other's parents.

The couple's difficulty in putting emotions across accurately contributed to their break-up.

Said a friend of the pair: "Ronald would sometimes be perplexed at how she blew hot one minute, cold the next. For example, they were very close at last year's South-east Asia Games in December. Even Ronald thought everything was going well, despite their being experiencing a rough patch just months before.

"But then she went to China over Christmas, and did not make one call or send one text message to him. The next time he heard from her, it was to say they were having problems."

Added a mutual friend of theirs: "This latest development is just another example of just how different they are. To her, she had known long ago that the relationship was never going to last. He only wised up in January.

"Many friends have questioned why Ronald didn't insist on having his name as a co-owner of both the car and the condo.

"But, in his mind, he always assumed that they would be married and was looking forward to moving into the apartment and settling down.

"He felt there was no need to as they would be married anyway."

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