Sweden's great table tennis star hugged his brother and coach Malte and screamed out his joy when the quarterfinal victory was clear. Truls Möregårdh won 4–2 against the Japanese Togami – after having turned around a 0–2 deficit in a World Championship thriller.
I was completely in ecstasy, saw mom and dad and everyone in the stands. Felt like the coolest person in the world, says Möregårdh who took World Championship silver in singles and Olympic silver in Paris last year.
It feels damn cool to be able to bring home a medal in singles again.
Started tough
Seventh-seeded Möregårdh went in as a favorite against 27th-seeded Togami. But the Swede failed to take advantage of his two set balls in his own serve in the first set went to Togami, 16–14.
Möregårdh went up 3–0 right away in the second set, but then came a huge turnaround. The Japanese won eleven straight points and the set with 11–3.
Aggressive Togami played his best table tennis, Möregårdh needed a trend reversal not to let the medal dream crash.
I knew he would come in and play aggressively, but I didn't know he had that power in him, says Möregårdh to SVT.
The start of the turnaround in Qatar's main city Doha came in the third set, where it became a Swedish victory 11–7.
I found a bit of good tactics and got him a bit where I wanted.
The hope didn't get smaller when Möregårdh also took the fourth set, 11–8. Despite a frustrated Swede starting the set with a 0–4 deficit.
"Enormously important"
In the fifth set, the 23-year-old showed again his strength in being the best when it matters. At 8–10, Möregårdh had two set balls against him – but responded by winning four straight points and the set 12–10.
The fifth set is enormously important not to let him get momentum, says Möregårdh.
He then won the sixth set with 11–9 after having utilized his first match ball.
In Saturday's semifinal (at 11.00, Swedish time) awaits the world number two Wang Chuqin, whom Möregårdh in the Olympic Games in Paris when the Chinese was world number one.
Now it's also an underdog situation and just go in and run in the next match. It's a fun situation, just go in and enjoy now. There has been a bit of pressure in these matches, in the next match you'll probably see a slightly calmer version of myself, says Möregårdh to SVT.
In the other semifinal, Liang Jingkun, who won the all-Chinese quarterfinal against the current world number one Lin Shidong, and Brazil's Hugo Calderano meet.
