The German table tennis players missed out on a medal at the World Team Championships in South Korea. The 2023 European champions lost their quarter-final against France 2-3 on Thursday (February 22, 24) after more than three and a half hours.
The world number 17 took both points for the German team. Nina Mittelham from TTC Berlin Eastside, who defeated France’s top players Prithika Pavade and Jia Nan Yuan respectively. In the decisive fifth game, Xiaona Shan from TTC Berlin Eastside clearly lost to 19-year-old Pavade in 0:3 sets.
“I’m very, very sad right now,” said Nina Mittelham: “The French played a very good game, they really deserved the medal.”
Men on Friday against Taiwan
“We gave everything and fought until the last ball. Unfortunately that wasn’t enough today because the French were better,” said national coach Tamara Boros: “We have to keep improving before the Olympics.”
The German women won the bronze medal in Chengdu in 2022. They managed to qualify for the Summer Olympics in Paris by winning the European Championship title before this World Cup. The German men will face Taiwan in their World Cup quarter-finals on Friday.