Truls Möregårdh Stunned by Norway’s Borgar Haug in European Table Tennis Championships

The Swedish world star has previously won silver at both the World Championships and the Olympics and came third at the last European Championships. But against Norwegian Borgar Haug, Truls Möregårdh never really got going.

At the same time, Haug put in a virtually flawless performance for a long time and played the best table tennis of his life as he comfortably took a 3-0 lead in sets - and also had match point in the fourth.

Then Möregårdh saved the match and turned it around to win the set. The Swede also won the fifth set, but in the sixth Haug pulled away and won sensationally.

I don't really know what to say. I feel like I'm playing very good ping-pong throughout the match, says Möregårdh to SVT.

He pays tribute to the Norwegian:

I didn't get anything to work with, and he didn't give me any easy misses. I might have gotten one in the whole game.

Källberg next for Haug

Early in the sixth set, a controversial situation arose when the umpire stepped in and ruled that Möregårdh's serve was illegal. Möregårdh scolded the umpire after the call. "Ridiculous!" and "You can't do anything!" he was heard shouting.

But in the interview afterwards, Möregårdh downplayed the incident.

It was boring, of course, but I still hadn't won the match.

Borgar Haug was more likely to laugh, for obvious reasons.

Beating Truls is the best thing I've done, he tells SVT.

In the quarterfinals, the Norwegian will face the only Swede remaining in the tournament in Slovenia: Anton Källberg.

Källberg had no problems as he defeated Greek player Panagiotis Gionis in four straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals.

Things went worse for Kristian Karlsson. The 35-year-old, who has been dealing with an elbow injury, lost 2-4 in sets to French star Alexis Lebrun, who is eighth in the world rankings.

Ranefur stood up well

Elias Ranefur troubled world number two Félix Lebrun, Alexis' younger brother, at times. Ranefur won the first set (11–7) before losing the next three. Then Ranefur fought back to win the fifth 11–6. But in the sixth, Félix Lebrun was clearly the stronger player and won 11–5, taking the match 4–2.

On Saturday, Kristian Karlsson and Anton Källberg will play in the European Championship final in men's doubles. The aforementioned French star brothers Alexis and Félix Lebrun await them there.