Germany ousts S. Korea to meet China in final

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, March 07, 2004

Germany ousts S. Korea to meet China in final

Germany knocked out China's closest enemies by outliving a four-game duel against South Korea at the men's semifinals of the world team table tennis championships Saturday in Doha.

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Germany knocked out China's closest enemies by outliving a four-game duel against South Korea at the men's semifinals of the world team table tennis championships Saturday in Doha.

The Germans, 0-3 losers to the all-mighty Chinese in a clash of the two group winners on Friday, face the 13-time champions again to vie for their first ever world team title.

Chinese head coach Cai Zhenhua admitted Saturday morning that China would rather take on Germany than the tenacious South Koreans in Sunday's grand finale.

A form reversal by Oh Sang Eun in the third game proved fatal to South Korea campaign to enter their second straight championship final. In last world championships in Osaka, Japan, Chinese Liu Guozheng saved seven match points to beat then South Korean top player Kim Taek Soo in the deciding fifth game.

In a lackluster game filled with mishits and errors, an aging Jorg Rosskopf subdued mistake-prone Oh Sang Eun in five sets (12-14, 11-9, 11-7, 1-12, 11-6), putting the Germans 2-1 ahead. Former world No. 1 Timo Boll wrapped up the victory with a convincing win over South Korean penhold attacker Ryu Seung Min, 11-9, 11-4, 11-7.

Boll sent Germany in lead as he used lightning forehand attacks to tame the world's top defensive player Joo Se Hyuk 11-9, 14-12, 3-11, 14-12 in the first rubber before Ryu Seung Min made it even with a five-set (6-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7) triumph over 71st-ranked Zoltan Fejer-Konerth.

With much stronger nerves rather than better skills, South Koreans have embarrassed Chinese in a few showcase sports including soccer, basketball and volleyball. The Chinese senior soccer team have never beaten South Korea in 20 years mainly because of South Korea-phobia.

"Of course we would like to meet Germany in the final," said Cai Zhenhua. "The German team have only one world class player while we have five."

"Ryu Seung Min's fighting spirit plus Kim Taek Soo's battle experience makes the South Korean team the most difficult to deal with. The good news is - they are gone," added a smiling Chinese coach.

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