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Dimitrij Ovtcharov: Played well, not won
Photo:
ADEK BERRY / AFP
The German table tennis men were unable to fulfill their gold hopes at the Olympics and won the silver medal in Tokyo.
Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska lost the final against China on Friday as clear outsiders 0: 3.
By reaching the finals, the Germans had already secured silver and thus the fourth medal in the team competition in a row.
In Japan it was the second German table tennis medal after bronze for Ovtcharov in the individual.
The women's team had lost their game for bronze.
While Ma Long was the first player in history to win his fifth gold, Ovtcharov set a record with his sixth Olympic medal.
As in London in 2012, he won individual bronze in Tokyo, plus silver (2008, 2020) and bronze (2012, 2016) with the team.
In the 26th competitive game against China, Germany suffered its 26th defeat.
Since the team competition premiered in Beijing in 2008, the table tennis superpower has won all 17 games at the Olympics - 15 of them 3: 0 and two 3: 1.
Ovtcharov, who showed spectacular table tennis in his duel with world number one fan Zhendong, was close to victory.
Both played long rallies over and over again, Ovtcharov led 2-1 in sets, but finally lost 3-2.
Before that, Boll and Franziska had no chance in doubles against Ma Long / Xu Xin at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, losing all three sets without being in the lead.
Boll finally got going against the old and new individual Olympic champion Ma Long only after losing two sets, the third round he won after three match points.
In the fourth set, the favorite turned out to be too strong.
mon / dpa / sid
