Waldner éternel

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• Age : 55 ans
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Jeudi 27 Avril 2006 11:58

Ci-dessous, le copier-coller de l'article du site des championnats du monde après la victoire de Waldner sur Maze.

Mr. "Sixty Per Cent" Waldner beats Michael Maze
Bremen. Write the man off at your peril. Jan-Ove Waldner is once again displaying his class on the world stage, he is the man for the big event and at the 2006 LIEBHERR World Table Tennis Team Championships in Bremen he is showing, that at the age of forty, the appetite for the big time is as strong as ever.

On the opening day of proceedings, he controlled matters against the fearsome machine gun like attacking play of Italy’s Yang Min; on the second day of play he repeated that skill as he gave Sweden a two matches to nil lead against Denmark.

It was as though Denmark had usurped the throne so often occupied by Sweden as the premier men’s team in Europe. Denmark had been crowned European Men’s Team Champions in 2005, the Swedes had a point to prove; the masters were intent on teaching the young pretenders a lesson.

Ready for the Challenge
Waldner, astute and composed was mentally ready for the challenge. He was on duty in the second match and was clearly intent on following the example set by Peter Karlsson. The latter had accounted for FinnTugwell in the opening contest to give Sweden the early advantage.

The opponent for Waldner was Michael Maze, the man who in Shanghai twelve months earlier had reached the semi-finals of the Men’s Singles event at the Volkswagen 48th World Championships. Waldner had a plan and he executed that plan to near perfection. Early in every rally, Waldner attacked the backhand of Maze, rarely if ever straying to Danish left hander’s forehand and when Maze was able to attack with the forehand then the Swedish master exercised his blocking skills to great effect.

Blocking Skills
Blocking with the backhand, he moved the Dane from side to side, ultimately receiving a comparatively weak return and then executing a backhand drive with fearsome speed.

There was a puff of the cheeks when Maze ripped a dazzling topspin past the Swedish maestro or a nod of the head to acknowledge his younger opponent’s outstanding skills and when crisis loomed Waldner was in his element.

Crucial Game
Against Maze, the first two games were shared; in the third game Waldner trailed 6-10; then he won the next five points, then he had five more game points before securing victory 16-14 to go two games to nil ahead.

The Swedish supporters in Viking dress in the top tier of the seating chanted their hero’s name “J-O Waldner, J-O Waldner”, time and again, interspersing on occasions with “Viä
lsker J-O, Viälsker J-O”. The translation, “We love you J-O”. Fifteen minutes later they repeated the cry again, they adored him.

Attention
Not only did the contest between Jan-Ove Waldner and Michael Maze attract the attention of the Swedes in the crowd, it attracted the attention of the Chinese on the adjacent table. At the same time as the duel between Maze and Waldner was taking place, Ma Long was on duty for China. Wang Liqin and Wang Hao couldn’t resist the temptation to watch the two European stars in action and Chinese coach Li Xiaodong had the video camera focused closely on the duel.

Credit to Maze
Maze played his part, he is a talented young man and he extended matters the full five games distance. Maze tried to topspin at every opportunity but with Waldner concentrating attack after attack into the Dane’s body, playing his favoured forehand was a tough ask.

In the crucial fifth game, Waldner continued to exercise immense control but Maze stuck to his task, the young Dane fought. Waldner made the better start and led 8-5, the stage at which the whole Chinese Men’s team stood watching in homage, their match against the Netherlands being at an end.

Mesmerised
Applause at the end of each point from whichever camp succeeded and applause also from a mesmerised crowd; total silence as either player served; everyone was spellbound.

The score reached 10-7 in Waldner’s favour, Maze played a forehand topspin from his backhand court wide to the Waldner forehand. Waldner, with an air of distain, flexed his right arm at the elbow, made contact before the peak of the bounce and a forehand topspin, played down-the-line, wide to the Maze forehand left the Dane grasping for thin air.

Standing Applause
The crowd rose to their feet in applause and to Waldner’s left another group of people applauded in admiration, the Chinese Men’s national team. All had waited to see the contest conclude. Two matches to nil ahead, the pressure on Jens Lundqvist was much less than had it been parity. He beat Martin Monrad to end proceedings and Sweden had prevailed.

Crucial or Not?
The victory against Maze by Waldner had been crucial, or had it, not in the eyes of Swedish coach, Peter Sternoberg. “The first match was crucial, the win of Peter Karlsson over Finn Tugwell”, he said. “Waldner’s victory was a bonus.” Meanwhile, for Jens Lundqvist, having lost to Mihai Bobocica one day earlier, it was a confidence boosting success. “I can player better but today I’m satisfied”, he said. “For sure it was better playing when we were winning two-nil.”

Meanwhile, for Waldner, he felt he was also playing better than on the opening day. “Today was good for me and the team, today I had to be much safer than against Yang Min yesterday”, he explained. “The first match in a tournament is always hard, yesterday was hard.”

Sixty Per Cent
It was a remarkable performance by Waldner who is known for designing different ways to win a table tennis match, on Tuesday 25th April 2006 his design skills worked perfectly but didn’t think he was playing anywhere near his best.

“I’m not at the same level as in 2004 in the Athens Olympics but today my legs felt good; I moved well and I was relaxed”, he said. “As for twenty years ago, I’m not as fast and I would say I’m at about sixty per cent of my best form.”

The comment underlines just how good Waldner has been at his best; if he could play forty percent better than he did in Bremen on Tuesday 25th April 2006, the mind boggles! He was absolutely majestic.