Boll: Chinese rivals always improve me

NEW YORK - Timo Boll credits his battles against Chinese paddlers for making him the player he is today.

"I wouldn't have become such a good player without the Chinese," the evergreen German, a four-time Olympic medalist and former world No 1, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"They improve me so much. I'm always curious to play them. It doesn't matter if I win or lose, afterward I'm always a better player when I meet them."

The eight-time European champion marveled at China's ability to produce generation after generation of top talent.

"If I play Chinese players, I have to be prepared from the first ball because you have to read the game very carefully," he said.

"You have to be very sharp and you cannot afford easy mistakes, and you have to be really on point in the game," added Boll, who throughout his career has taken on multiple generations of Chinese greats, including Liu Guoliang, Kong Linghui, Wang Liqin, Ma Lin, Zhang Jike and Ma Long.

"The more often you play them, you feel immediately that you improve," said the world No 10, adding: "It's nice to follow the whole table tennis history of China and be a small part of it."

Boll, a six-time Olympian, said the depth of Chinese table tennis is attributable to its unique system, which identifies talents from a young age and combines world-class coaching with their academic education.

"This is unique in China. This is what we have to learn, but it's not easy," said Boll, who has made guest appearances as a player in the Chinese Super League.

Germany's amateur club system is well-structured, but the country lacks proper professional organization like China, he noted.

Boll claimed a bronze medal, sharing the podium with China's Liang Jingkun, at last month's World Table Tennis Championships in Houston, Texas.

The German lost in the semifinals to rising Swedish star Truls Moregardh.

In an absorbing contest, the 19-year-old Moregardh eventually prevailed 4-3. Boll said it was unfortunate he failed to reach the final, which was won by China's world No 1 Fan Zhendong, but added it was still "a nice story" to win his first singles medal at the worlds in a decade at the age of 40.

Boll said he came to Houston "without very high expectations" as he was not 100 percent fit following his exertions at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where he helped Germany claim a silver medal in the team competition.

Boll has no plans to retire any time soon, simply because he loves the game so much.

"Playing is all about fun... I won't find anything else which can fulfill me as much as table tennis. It's hard to stop, I have to admit," he said.

The veteran added that the respect from rivals and fans also encourages him to keep going.

In the short term, Boll said he plans to concentrate on playing for his club, Borussia Dusseldorf.

"I will try to play, especially the Asian tournaments where I can compete against the best players like the Chinese players," he said, adding that he hopes to lead his compatriots at the 2022 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

"Hopefully I can come back to China soon," he said.

Xinhua