EINDHOVEN.
Netherlands. Aug 7 (AFP): Austria's Werner Schlager is the joker in the pack in the men's
singles at the World Table Tennis Championships.
Two of the other semifinal-
ists — Jan Ove Waldner and Liu Guoliang — need no introduction ahead of Sunday s men's semis and final.
Sweden's reigning champion Waldner has twice been a victor at this level and was also the singles gold medalist at the Barcelona Olympics.
Liu. meanwhile, relieved Waldner of his Olympic gold at Atlanta and. since the elimination of Belarussian top seed Vladimir Samsonov, is the highest-rahked player remain-
ing in the tournament.
The third of the four contenders Ma Lin is, admittedly, a less illustrious name than Waldner or Liu.
But his seeding of nine was believed to be a false one before the tournament as Chinese players have not attended many ranking events with Ma suffering as a result.
He is. however, a rising star of the Chinese game and, at the age of 19. clinched the first title of the event on Friday with mixed doubles partner Zhang Yingying.
Schlager. in contrast, has genuinely confounded the pundits with his run to the semis.
Cynics believe the Austrian's run will end on Sunday morning but the 26-year-old. who has never been ranked higher than
14th, has steadily improved during the tournament and his quarterfinal victory over Croatian fourth seed Zoran Primorac had the hallmark of class.
Schlager and Liu, semifinal opponents, also met in the outstanding clash of the men's doubles category so far on Friday.
Tn a thrilling encounter Schlager -- and compatriot Karl Jindrak -- squandered five match points, losing eventually to Liu and his partner Kong Linghui, the 199b world singles champion.
Liu also has the pressure of being China's main hope to end Europe's preeminence in the blue riband event of the tournament.
Europe has taken four of the last five titles at world level and the Chinese delegation have admitted they will consider their campaign to have failed if they let slip the men's singles again -- even if they sweep the board in the other events.
Ma's clash with Waldner is an intriguing one.
Fifth-seeded Waldner looked-a spent force in the earlier rounds but turned in a vintage performance to send Kong packing with the crowd coming alive in i espouse.
Until that match, the drumbeating. flag-waving Chinese had provided the main support in the tournament but the nearcapacity crowd were thrilled by Waldner's 22-20. 13-21, 21-18. 19-21.21-15 triumph.
Describing the crowd as "perfect” the Swedish legend knows he will be the sentimental favourite again against Ma.
Meanwhile. Wang Nan ensured that a Chinese player will win the women s singles title at the Championships -- but will have to wait until Saturday afternoon to see if it is her name that will follow that of retired legend Deng Yaping into the histoty books.
Wang, the top seed, had to fight hard in her semifinal to see off the last non-Chinese competitor. Rvu Ji Hye of Korea, seeded thirteen, but eventually prevailed.
She now meets the winner of the other last four clash — an all-Chinese affair between 12th seed Zhang Yining and surprise package Li Nan. who has come from nowhere to emerge as the find of the tournament.
Left-hander Wang, aged 20, had to fight to keep her head above water with the Korean taking an early lead in the deciding rubber.
Backed by a noisy Chinese contingent in the crowd. Wang emerged the victor by a 22-24, 21-9. 21-15, 16-21. 21-16 scoreline.