A crazy fourth set seemed to decide the entire quarterfinal between Truls Möregårdh, OS silver medalist from last summer, and Xiang Peng, one of the high-class home hopes in this week's tournament.
Xiang Peng led 2–1 in sets and went up to 10–7 and three new set balls. Möregårdh saved all of them, but it was only the beginning of the drama.
In a set that never seemed to end, the Chinese player had six more set balls – nine in total – but Truls Möregårdh was unstoppable. He saved every single one and then won the set 20–18.
Suddenly, it was 2–2 in the match and the wind was in Möregårdh's favor, as he seemed to be on his way to the semifinal.
But Xiang Peng had an answer, turned 7–9 in the fifth set into a 11–9 victory and suddenly had the upper hand again. Truls Möregårdh then won the sixth set with a clear 11–5 and got new momentum ahead of the seventh and decisive set.
However, it did not seem to affect Xiang. The 21-year-old won the deciding set 11–5 and secured a Chinese victory in the men's singles tournament already now.
In the semifinal, Lin Shidong, who earlier in the week knocked out Anton Källberg, is waiting, while two more Chinese players – Ma Long and Liang Jingkun – will meet in the other.
