National player Dimitrij Ovtcharov made a successful comeback in the table tennis world elite at the WTT Contender in Lima.
After an eight-month injury break due to ankle surgery, the Olympic bronze medalist reached the final in Peru, where the German duel with Dang Qiu takes place on Sunday.
“I wouldn’t have put a cent on myself, because I’ve only been training once a day for a few weeks and I’m far from the usual workload,” said Ovtcharov after victories over Simon Gauzy and Sweden’s Anton Källberg, among others. “This is my first tournament appearance for about ten months, the whole thing is incredibly emotional for me.”
Now he’s looking forward to “the final against my buddy Dang”. Regardless of the outcome of the final, the ex-European champion drew a satisfied conclusion: “It went much better than I could have ever expected, and that’s why I’m super happy.”
Ovtcharov resigns in Russia
For Dang Qiu, it’s the chance for a second win in Lima after triumphing in mixed with Nina Mittelham. The Berliner also meets Miyu Nagasaki in the singles final.
Ovtcharov’s first attempt to return failed at the beginning of the year. Although Ovtcharov won his first game after the operation in the Champions League quarterfinals for the Russian club Fakel Orenburg, he had to withdraw from all competitions shortly afterwards due to complications in the further healing process.
In the involuntarily free time, the ex-European champion only resigned several weeks after the start of Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine in Orenburg. Practically at the same time, the right-hander joined the federal list TTC Neu-Ulm for the coming season, primarily for assignments in the Champions League.