Older Waldner still getting better

Bremen, Germany, April 30: Jan-Ove Waldner may be considered past his prime at 34 but the Swede still has the ability to produce remarka...

Bremen, Germany, April 30: Jan-Ove Waldner may be considered past his prime at 34 but the Swede still has the ability to produce remarkable table tennis when it counts.

The man who has claimed every major title on offer at least once, reached the European Championships quarter-finals with wins over Germany8217;s Timo Boll and Poland8217;S Marcin Kusinski. With world number one Vladmir Samsonov of Belarus already out, second-seeded Waldner8217;s chances of clinching a second European singles title after 1996 have increased considerably.

He will meet Belgian Philippe Saive in the quarter-finals.

Waldner struggled for his victories on Saturday and required five games for each. He cannot be compared to the player he was when he surprised his rivals to collect gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. 8220;I think I will get better as the tournament goes on,8221; he said.

When asked if Waldner8217;s visible lack of speed was due to injury, Swedish coach Ulf Carlsson replied: 8220;Jan-Ove is almost 35 years old. That is his so-called illness.8221;

Waldner8217;s genius and seemingly innate feeling for the sport which earned him nicknames such as Magician8217; occasionally surfaces and mostly for crucial match-winning points.

But sometimes, after a stunning point, he will prolong a match by a further game with an unnecessary service fault, just as he did to allow Boll to level 2-2 in the third round.

In his fourth round, the calm Swede from Stockholm trailed Kusiniski until levelling at 2-2 before clearly winning the fifth 21-10.

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Waldner8217;s biggest rival for the title is expected to be former World and European champion Jorgen Persson, who has not dropped a game en route to the last eight.

Earlier in the week, Waldner and Persson lifted Sweden to a record 13th men8217;s team title from the 22 championships staged since 1958. The pair have won four World and six European team titles.

For coach Carlsson and most others involved in the sport, the Swedes are the sport8217;s best players, with Waldner just edging Persson for top place. 8220;What makes these guys so strong is their desire to always want more,8221; said Carlsson. 8220;Most other players would have given up their ambitions a long time ago.8221;

Physically, Waldner, the man who openly admits to loving beer, is considerably heavier than during his peak. But the 1989 and 1997 world champion has no plans to retire just yet.

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8220;I will continue to compete for as long as I8217;m still having fun and have the feeling I8217;m able to win,8221; he said. Reuters