Timo starts to look his age now: still winning over lower ranked players, but when it comes to true top 20/top 10 guys he's definitely outclassed. Quite normal at 41 I guess, as Samsonov retired at 45 I think he still has 4 or 5 years to play at the highest Bundesliga 1 level, but the WTT level will start to be a bit difficult for him...
European Table Tennis Championships 2022
- Thread starter TableTennisDaily
- Start date
This user has no status.
Member
Yeah, exactly, furthermore a lot of player struggle for Timo's topspin variations and serves, but Dang Qiu being his team-mate and knowing his game didn't have any kind of difficulties.
I don't think Timo can make to Paris 2024 Olympics neither in the team event, seeing Dang Qiu and Patrick Franciska recent performance. Dima will obviously be picked after his outstanding performance at Tokyo
Loosing 2-4 isn't choking even when you've won the first 2 games, 4 sets winning matches is a complete different story. Falck has been way more clever, and has found his pressuring close to the table game back again at the right moment, before being down to 3-0 or even 3-2: no game point against him at all in those games, not even any advantages after 11. Truls has never been able to see the light from the tunnel at the 3rd game, and it went like that for the 3 games that followed.
Not that easy: Franziska has done really wrong this tournament vs Apolonia, and Dima isn't that well after his ankle injury + Russia situation that forced him to reconsider his career choices, he's not as dominating his opponents as he used to. 2024 is in 2 years only, Timo is smart enough to know how to handle that span to be in good form at the right time, not the top player in Germany team anymore for sure, but you can bet he'll be in the 4 going in Paris, even as a deluxe substitute.
Last edited:
This user has no status.
Member
Yeah, he's certainly going to Paris, but I meant as a player. Franciska didn't do very well in this tournment, but his performance in WTT champions was impressive. Won over Ma Long and lost in the decider with Harimoto in his best form. As for Dima, I don't think he had any good performance after the olympics, but still his performance in Tokyo could be a bonus to pick him over Timo Boll. As for the issues with the Russian club he used to play for, in the next season he'll have the opportunity to train together with some of the strongest non-Chinese players like Moreghard, Harimoto and Lin-Jun Yu, definitely a better club environment than the other German team players.
This user has no status.
Timo also just recovered from a broken rib and wasn't able to train very much. Of course injuries piling up are probably also related to his age, he has intensely trained for like 30 years now that will wear down a body.
What a match between Sofia Polcanova and Sabine Winter !!! bullets were flying everywhere, but most of it all: Polcanova is a smart girl, 9-8 at the decision set instead of doing another banana BH flick on the receive... she does a strong push in Winter's BH who's totally surprised by this move. And even at the advantage points, she never panics, she shows almost nothing, barely any emotion until the very last point. Pushes don't work anymore ? back to banana flick then, she's shown how to totally disrupt your opponent in the money time. Well deserved victory by the clever girl.
This user has no status.
Member
Impressive performance for Falck and Karlsson, in this tournment they did way better than the younger Kallberg and Moreghard. I'm curious to see who they will pick for the next Olympics
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Falck and Karlsom doubles, Moregardh singles, probably Falck as the second player unless Karlsson qualifies directly somehow or injury upsets everything.
says
🗑️
says
🗑️
Active Member
Having a 9-2 lead and dropping nine points in row is the definition of choking.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
This user has no status.
Member
I'm not sure they would leave Kallberg out, in the last olympics I remember they removed Karlsson at the last moment to make Karlberg play in the singles
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Karlsson is often injured so without knowing the reason I assume they just put in their best available players. But if they care about a team medal, it is hard to deny Karlsson and Falck a chance. And Truls is their best singles player. The only way he is denied is if Kallberg can overtake him.
This user has no status.
Member
I don't think his exclusion depended on injuries, since he took part in the team event. Take a look at the linked article. Furthermore, in the actual ranking, Karlberg is ranked higher (even if it's probably going to change after Karlsson performance at the European championships).
Kristian Karlsson is out of the Swedish team - PingSunday
says
🗑️
says
🗑️
Active Member
This. I was practically yelling at my TV screen for him to call a T.O. at 7-9. When Mattias won the next point it was all over, his psychological advantage had become enormous.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
The article doesn't make sense, and I honestly struggle to take anything from Emrathich seriously. Truls didn't play the Olympic because of injury and maybe they wanted Kallberg to have a chance since he had displayed better form and Karlsson may not have liked it. But what I will say is that if Sweden wants its best chance at a team medal, Karlsson is their only viable lefty and his best partner is Falck (nee Karlsson). Truls is the best singles player. And then it comes down to who is playing better between Falck and Karlsson for the other singles spot. I think they have tried Truls and Kallberg/Bergstron in mixed doubles and maybe Karlsson and Kallberg /Bergstrom for mixed doubles.
Of course all this is speculation but this is how I see it. Karlsson and Falck have proved themselves enough that they clearly give Sweden a doubles point against just about every team in the world, and they are both very strong in Singles with Truls. This is a chance at an Olympic medal against a lot of Asian teams - unless they just want to compete for 5th place, no other option is serious.
Similar threads
