Baboor falls in second round

Eindhoven , Aug 5: India's National champion Chetan Baboor crashed out of the men's singles when he lost a grim four-game battle to Israe...

Eindhoven , Aug 5: India8217;s National champion Chetan Baboor crashed out of the men8217;s singles when he lost a grim four-game battle to Israeli qualifier Izak Abramov at the 45th World Table Tennis Championships here last night. The 26-year-old Baboor, who reached the round of 64 earlier in the day fighting a five-game thriller against British qualifier Terry Young, lost to Abramov 22-20 20-22 21-16 21-13 ending India8217;s challenge.

Baboor, who was seeded direct into the main draw, started his second round battle on a sluggish note allowing Abramov to dominate most part of the duel.Though Baboor won the first game 22-20, his energy reserves depleted as the Israeli took over control of the tie. The Israeli paddler, who made it to the main draw after two days of gruelling qualifiers, had ousted 27th seeded Austrian Qian Qianli in the first round. EUROPE REARS its head: Less than a week before a total eclipse of the sun is due to carve a path through Europe, the continent8217;s table tennis players looked determined toput their Chinese rivals in the shade.

France and Sweden led the way with three representatives from each country booking spots in the pre-quarter finals.

The performance of the day came from Frenchman Damien Eloi who toppled China8217;s sixth seeded Wang Liqin 21-13, 21-18, 21-18. France8217;s 1993 World Champion Jean-Philippe Gatien dismissed Argentina8217;s Liu Song in straight games and Christophe Legout was the third French musketeer to qualify, walloping Israeli Izak Abramov.

NAN IN QUARTERS: In the women8217;s event China8217;s top seed Wang Nan had her first real test in the fourth round of the women8217;s singles here today but emerged unscathed to book a place in the last eight. Koyama born in China and formerly known as He Zhili pushed Wang by winning the first game and coming perilously close to taking the second. But Wang wangled an escape route, prevailing 18-21, 22-20, 21-5, 21-18 to set up a quarter-final match with compatriot Cheng Hongxia.

Men8217;s singles 3rd round: 1-Vladimir Samsonov Blr bt D HeisterNed 23-21 21-9 19-21 21-18; 2-G Liu China bt 28-Mathew Syed 13-21 21-18 21-15 21-14; 5-Jan-Ove Waldner bt Z He Esp 18-21 21-14 21-15 21-14.