MANCHESTER.

England. May 4: Jan-Ove Waldner, the former world champion from Sweden, was the man the Chinese

players feared most when the World Table Tennis Championships began here last week, reports AFP.

But Frenchman Jean-Philippe Gatien, who meets the great Swede in the quarterfinals on. Sunday afternoon, could prove the surprise player-of-the- tournament.

Gatien, who won the world title at Gothenberg, the last time the championships were held in Europe in 1993, shook the Chinese squad when he not only beat Wang Tao in the last 16 on Saturday but beat him comprehensively 21-19, 21-17, 21-14.

Wang Tao had been unbeaten since his arrival in England, winning all his matches in the team event and then his first three matches in the singles

Gatien. whose forehand hit is one of the hardest in the world dominated the Chinese left hander but now he has a completely different problem when he faces Waldner, who at his best, is probably the finest player the game has known.

They have met many times before, most notably in the

1992 Olympic final in Barcelona when Waldner gained an easy victory but Gatien won their most recent clash in the European Top 12 semifinals earlier this year,

Gatien said: "We have been playing each other for years and we have both had our wins. .He is better than me on statis-'tics but I think the key is how 1 react when he serves."

Chinese coaches will be watching this match with great interest. Waldner, in the past, has beaten many Chinese players and could be the biggest threat to Far Eastern dominance but Gatien's form is beginning to worry them. ■

Only one other European. Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, has reached the last eight and the Chinese squad will not underestimate this comparative newcomer to the world's elite.

Samsonov Amazed spectators when he beat Waldner 21-6. 21-7 in the team event and he has already beaten two Chinese Elayers. Ma Lin and Wang iqin, on his way to the quarterfinals.

Now he comes up against another Chinese player. Ding Song, generally acclaimed as the best defender in the world.

China's reigning world champion. Kong Linghui, meets fellow countryman Ma Wenge in another quarterfinal while

He Zie Wen, once a member of the Chinese squad but now domiciled in Spain, plays Yan Sen. the fifth Chinese-born player in the last eight.

In the women’s singles the Chinese domination is almost complete with six players. Deny Yaping, Qaio Yunping, Li Ju, Cheng Hongxia, Wang Nan and Wu Na, in Sunday's quarterfinals.

Only Wong Ching of Hong Kong and Nicole Struse of Germany could prevent China from winning this title for the ninth time in the last 10 championships.

Deng Yaping has been wearing a belt to support her suspect back and it was thought that she might have to pull out of the competition.

But, despite her problems, she has been playing as well as usual and in her first three matches against Romanian Adriana Nastase. Tong Fei-Ming of Chinese Taipei and Ryu Ji Hye of South Korea, has not lost a single game.

Deng Yaping has won the world title twice, in 1991 in Chiba, Japan, and in her own country in Tianjin two years ago and is the current Olympic champion.

Assuming her back is not too troublesome there seems little to stop from winning her third World title.