Europe Smash: Moregard is the Maestro in Malmo

(By Steve Hopkins, photo WTT)

Sweden’s best, Tells Moregard, fought his way to the final at home in Malmo and faced World No. 1 Lin Shidong in what turned out to be an epic competition. Starting here at 8-8 in the seventh game with an electric home crowd that pulls for an emotional local champion:

Shidong serves twice, wins one point with a strong backhand and then loses the next with a backhand the floats for a long time. Triels serves shortly before he steps around his own backhand -corner, where he curls a ball straight along the left line with heavy from right to left that brings the ball wide of Shidong’s Forehand for the winner. And then, at 10-9 with a match point, Triels has to look for an aggressive rally for a long time, Shidong plays a strong cross-backhand-triels then a forehand from his backhand side back in Shidong’s backhand. Shidong lands an amazing shot along the line (his backhand for Forehand). Triels has to cross the entire table to pick up the ball and he does, touching a strong top spin -forehand during the air, and then land hard with both feet and go back to the field to prepare for the next shot. Shidong touches a stronger forehand and Triels goes along the line to Shidong’s Backhand for a winner. Shidong plays a round rolling ball and Triels presses his advantage and hits a stronger and wider shot to Shidong’s Backhand. Shidong is attached and has to lobe with his backhand – and this sets up a smash to complete Lob where Shidong finally misses the eighth lob. Moregard wins 11-9 in the seventh.

The last game was epic. The last point was epic. The celebration of the crowd was epic. And the emotion of Triels after winning on this stage, at this location – also epic. A great end to a great event – and this is the first time that Tri’s Lin Shidong have defeated, and the first time a European player has won a WTT Smash event.

As is often the case with this Elite WTT Smash events, there were many interesting storylines in Malmo, Sweden this week. For American fans, Kanak JHA succeeded his great show the last week (reaching the semi -final of a WTT Champion Series event) with another upset – a victory at World No. 17 Other Lind. Jha then lost to Simon Gauzy – but Gauzy got his own headlines with a victory over Lin Gaoyuan and Darko Jorgic on their way to the semi -final. And although Moregard is clearly the biggest surprise in the headlines – the semi -final of Moregard was also a surprise – Benedikt Duda. At the age of 31, Duda got up to be the best player in Germany – and he again provided it this week with victories over Pucar and UDA and Calderano.

Singles for Women missed the dramatic storylines four well-known Chinese players reached the semi-final before world no. 1 Sun Yingsha Topped World No. 2 Wang Manyu in the final. Perhaps the biggest surprise China’s Shi Xunyao (World No. 12) was that Kuai Man (World No. 4) and Satsuki Odo (World No. 9) eliminated on the way to the semi -final. ‘

The next WTT Champions series event will be in Macao in two weeks and then all big names will come together again in Beijing for the China Smash at the end of September.

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