“He was completely dominant in the first set. I immediately felt that I had to raise my game several levels,” Möregårdh said in SVT’s broadcast.
When the 24-year-old won the major Europe Smash competition last year, he defeated then-world number one Lin Shidong at home in Malmö Arena.
Möregårdh is now ranked fourth in the world and Lin ninth, but the quarter-final in France on Saturday evening still proved a shock.
Möregårdh had to fight for his set wins. The Chinese player had a much easier start, winning the first set 11–1 and the third comfortably, 11–3. Möregårdh fought back each time, and after the match was tied at 3–3, a seventh and deciding set awaited.
The Swede was stronger in the decider, winning 11–8.
Both the semi-finals and a possible final will be played on Sunday. Truls Möregårdh won the WTT competition in Montpellier last year.
What do you think?