MONTREUX, Switzerland, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) — Veteran Ni Xialian of Luxembourg was stopped within the 2023 CCB Europe Top 16 table-tennis Cup quarter-finals right here on Saturday when she tried to make one other miracle on the age of 59.
Ni, who will flip 60 in July, beat Slovak Barbora Balazova 4-2 within the morning earlier than she misplaced to Shao Jieni of Portugal 4-2 within the final eight within the evening.
“I think I still have the chance. Shao is a very strong opponent and she played very well today. I made too many mistakes which I shouldn’t have made,” Ni stated.
Shao, who’s 30 years youthful than Ni, gained three units straight after Ni tied it 1-1.
After successful three consecutive instances of the match from 1996 to 1998, Ni stated she had not gained the Europe Top 16 for 25 years.
“I don’t know if I can come back here again next year, but I’m looking forward to Paris 2024,” Ni stated.
“I can still play and age is not a problem. I enjoy playing the game and hope to play in the Olympics again.”
At 58, Ni represented Luxembourg on the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.
The winners of the lads’s and girls’s singles will probably be selected Sunday.