Kreanga 4th at Table Tennis World Cup
Kalinikos Kreanga came very close to winning a medal at the Table Tennis World Cup in Liege, Belgium, but was eventually forced to settle for fourth spot. The Greek champion went into the competition’s semifinals on Sunday morning with four wins in as many games, but the might of the world’s No 1 ranked player, China’s Wang Hao, and the pain Kreanga had to endure due to an injury in his abdominal and adductor muscles cut short his hopes. Wang won 4-2 (11-7, 5-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-6). «I could have won this one. If I hadn’t had my injury, I believe I could have at least taken the match to 3-3,» said the 36-year-old Greek who is ranked 18th in the world. In the third-place playoff, Kreanga played another Chinese player, Ma Long, and lost 4-1, despite winning the first set (7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8). In the Saturday quarterfinal, the Greek player defeated Korean player Joo Se Hyuk (the world’s No 9) 4-2 (11-7, 6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 5-11, 12-10). He will now undergo medical checks to determine the full extent of his injuries so his trainers can decide whether he will be able to compete in the European Championship (October 4-12) in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
