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Olympic Table Tennis Recaps: 28 July (Day 9)

Men's Table Tennis Singles / Round of Eight

Top-Ranked World Player Eliminated

It was a day full of upsets. But Korea's KIM Taek-Soo pulled the upset of the day defeating KONG Linghui (CHN), the top-ranked men's singles table tennis player in the world. Winning the first two games, KIM took early command of the match. KONG battled back in the third game, managing to eke out a 22:20 advantage, but KIM's determination and quick, aggresive play paid off in the fourth game, winning 21:12 and earning her a place in the quarterfinals.

In another upset Canada's Wen HUNAG stunned Jan-Ove WALDNER (SWE), ranked fourth in the world. The Swede looked preoccupied in the first game and lost 15:21. He came back in the second game and managed a win, but today HUANG was too strong an opponent for the 1992 Olympic men's singles gold medalist. He easily won the next two games to advance to the quarterfinals.

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Also falling prey to the upset bug was China's LIU Guoliang, ranked sixth in the world. Japan's MATSUSHITA Koji spoiled any medal hopes LIU may have had. The upset was swift, as MATSUSHITA won three straight games to take the match.

Three top-ranked players did survive today's action. Germany's Joerg ROSSKOPF, ranked fifth, easily defeated France's Patrick CHILA, while third-ranked player Jean-Michel SAIVE (BEL) also defeated his opponent, Zoran PRIMORAC (CRO) in three games. WANG Tao (CHN) remains the highest-ranked player left in competition. Ranked second, WANG needed only 33 minutes and 42 seconds to beat Korea's YOO Nam-Kyu.

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The men's singles quarterfinals are slated for 30 July at 19:00.

Final Score: KIM Taek-Soo (KOR) d. KONG Linghui (CHN), 21:17, 21:18, 20:22, 21:12; Joerg ROSSKOPF (GER) d. Patrick CHILA (FRA), 21:16, 21:16, 23:21; MATSUSHITA Koji (JPN) d. LIU Guoliang (CHN), 21:18, 21:10, 21:17; Wen HUANG (CAN) d. Jan-Ove WALDNER (SWE), 21:15, 17:21, 21:16, 21:15; Jean-Michel SAIVE (BEL) d. Zoran PRIMORAC (CRO), 21:13, 21:16, 21:08; Petr KORBEL (CZE) d. Hugo HOYAMA (BRA), 17:21, 19:21, 21:17, 21:14, 21:13; Vladimir SAMSONOV (BLR) d. Dmitriy MAZUNOV (RUS), 21:14, 21:15, 21:13; WANG Tao (CHN) d. YOO Nam-Kyu (KOR), 21:15, 21:16, 21:09.

"If always the favorites win, it's not interesting," said Soren AHLEN, Swedish men's table tennis coach after Jan-Ove WALDNER's (SWE) loss.

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department.


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