BOROS heads European hopes
Ken Muhr
Photo by: Kazuyuki Takahashi
Tamara BOROS, (Croatia), 26, Europe’s highest world ranked women player – she is currently no.7 and no.5 Olympic seed, made her first and successful women’s singles appearance today, comfortably beating Marina KRACHENKO of Israel, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7.
Playing in red, BOROS had too much topspin power on both forehands and backhands for the Israeli attacker. The Croatian is the European the Asians fear most, though her length of stroke can make her a fraction slow at the very highest level.
BOROS top European
In the same series of matches, world no.1 and top seed ZHANG Yining (China), aged 21, put out 42 year old New Zealander LI Chunli, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5, 11-7. It was a clash between the new generation of Chinese international represented by the two wing top-spinning ZHANG, and the fast short pimples, pen-hold hitting style of LI, who was a former member of the Chinese team in the 1980’s.
Ultimately, although she is fantastically fit and determined, LI Chunli is too old to win at the very highest level. About playing ZHANG she said, “It is very difficult to confront the No.1 in the world. If I had taken the 2nd game perhaps I could have played with more confidence. I am very pleased with my participation in the Athens Olympics.”
ZHANG was happy with her performance. “I played well, better than yesterday and I felt very calm. At the Olympic Games all the games are very difficult but I was very well prepared.”
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