Anyone for (Table) Tennis?

Last night was always going to be a hard one to follow.  Headed to ExCel for a team quarter final in the sport which Boris Johnson memorably announced to the world was invented by the British under the name of Whiff Waff.

The men's team competition has the national teams playing out a doubles match and a maximum of four singles ties.  Players enter the arena to a showbiz sound and light show which reminds me of a darts competition.  I wonder whether an enterprising publicist could make a big-time spectacle of the game created on the dining tables of Victorian England?  It could hardly be a stranger hit than darts, which pulled the same trick with some intro music and a few well-placed nicknames.  The umpire signals which player has won a point with some kind of clenched fist salute, which is... odd.

Game, Venezuela.  ALL the games, Venezuela.

The unquestioned powerhouse of the sport is China, who claimed gold and silver in both individual competitions, but this afternoon's crowd favourites are Germany.  They line up against an Austria team who fold like cheap lederhosen on the table nearest us.  At the far end of the arena is a fascinating clash between Portugal and South Korea - who came through a politically delicate clash with North Korea in the first round.  No Portuguese player is ranked inside the world's top thirty while four Koreans are in that club, so they start as strong favourites.

Top level table tennis is played with an extreme range of styles.  Some players rely on paddle speed and accuracy, others exert a whole range of vicious spins on the ball.  At one point a ball lands on the floor and, instead of bouncing, rolls in an arc around a table leg.  There are some players who crowd the table, others like the Korean Joo Saehyuk make an art out of defensive play, throwing themselves around the arena and giving themselves time to reach every ball, forcing their opponent to make mistakes.

Saehyuk takes on crowd favourite Marcos Freitas, who stands firm at the table and smashes the ball about for Saehyuk to chase. It makes for a dynamic contest.  Later, with the scores level at 2-2, Freitas is set to take on the Korean number one for a place in the semi finals.  Sneak downstairs to get a totally different view - from behind the players you can see just how much the ball moves in the air.  Favouring the underdogs, we manage to get the whole crowd chanting 'Marcos, Marcos', and he goes on a run of six straight points.  Result.  Sadly that's as good as it gets, and the Portuguese are out.  Korea will meet Hong Kong for a place in Wednesday's final, while the Germans will face a massive task against China.