Table Tennis: Samsonov and Waldner keep Europe afloat

Jan-Ove Waldner, the former world champion from Sweden, and Vladimir Samsonov, of Belarus, kept Europe in the hunt for the men's singles title at the world championships at Manchester yesterday.

Waldner reached the last four by beating another former world champion, Jean-Philippe Gatien, of France, 21-7, 22-20, 21-14, and Samsonov beat China's Ding Song, considered the game's best defender, 21-13, 21-9, 21- 10.

In the other quarter-finals, China's Kong Linghui, the holder, and Yan Sen went through by defeating China's Ma Wenge and the Chinese-born He Zhi Wen, of Spain, respectively.

Results, Digest, page 23