National player Dimitrij Ovtcharov dropped out of the German table tennis championships because of a strong infection.
“I feel totally weak and also a bit feverish,” said the two-time Olympic bronze medalist after his 4-1 win against Moritz Spreckelsen (TSV Schwarzenbek), “I’m really sorry.”
The ninth in the world rankings, Ovtcharov, arrived ill on Friday and the 33-year-old withdrew from the tournament due to ongoing problems.
“I came back from my second place at the WTT Lima Contender with a bad cold and had thrown up on the plane,” said Ovtcharov. “Unfortunately, it hasn’t gotten any better over the week.” He “simply didn’t want to risk aggravation with this strong infection”.