Two years after the sensational WC silver in Houston, Truls Möregårdh was the given blue-yellow hope before the WC in Durban, South Africa.
It all ended in an anticlimax.
The Swedish world number 1 was pitted against the Egyptian Omar Assar, ranked 30th in the world, in the round of 16, and was the favorite to advance. But the opponent who was ten years older opened the strongest and also took home the first set.
However, Truls Möregårdh responded by winning two in a row and suddenly the psychological advantage had moved across the table. When the fourth set was about to begin, the Egyptian was missing and Möregårdh had to stand and wait for quite a while.
– It feels like something has happened, Omar has disappeared, exclaimed commentator Peter Jihde in Viaplay.
Truls Möregårdh knocked out
However, the 31-year-old returned to the table relatively immediately and the game could continue.
Omar Assar finally won 4-2 and thus Truls Möregårdh’s WC is over – at least in singles. Tonight he plays in the quarter-finals in mixed doubles together with Stina Källberg.
– Omar makes a flawless effort, plays much better in the short game than both I, and probably also Truls, thought. Truls were too uneven. You shouldn’t give Omar the chance to enter the matches, he never gives up if he gets one or two sets, says expert Per Gerell in the broadcast.
– It feels a bit snowy. I thought he would have a very good chance today.
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