Sporting Digest: Table Tennis

JAN-OVE WALDNER'S chances of becoming the first man to hold both Olympic and world singles titles improved dramatically when he beat Kim Taek-soo, of South Korea, 21-10, 21-9, 21-18 in yesterday's world championship quarter-finals in Gothenburg. Waldner's main rival, Ma Wenge of China, was knocked out by Jean-Michel Saive, of Belgium, 12-21, 21-19, 21-17, 13-21, 21-13.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (Gothenburg, Swe) Men's singles, Third round: J-O Waldner (Swe) bt F Sonnet (Bel) 21-13 21-12 21-19; D Mazunov (Rus) bt Kim Myong Jun (N Kor) 23-21 21-11 24-22; J Huang (Can) bt S Fetzner (Ger) 21-16 21-14 20-22 23-21; Kim Taek-soo (S Kor) bt K Saito (Japan) 21-17 21-7 21-10; J-M Saive (Bel) bt P Franz (Germany) 21-7 21-11 21-19; A Grubba (Pol) bt T Keen (Neth) 21-10 21-17 21-10; Li Gun-sang (N Kor) bt J Truksa (Slovak) 21-15 21-16 21-9; Ma Wenge (Ch) bt E Lindh (Swe) 21-19 21-10 21-13; Wang Yonggang (Ch) bt P Skierski (Pol) 21-15 22-20 21-18; Z Primorac (Croa) bt Kang Hee-chan (S Kor) 21-14 27-25 13-21 21-15; J Rosskopf (Ger) bt Lo Chuen Tsung (HK) 21-19 21-15 21-12; Wang Tao (Ch) bt H Shibutani (Japan) 23-21 21-19 21-7; V Samsonov (Bela) bt P Haldan (Neth) 21-18 16-21 21-17 16-21 21-10; P Saive (Bel) bt Choi Gyong Sop (N Kor) 21-10 21-16 13-21 21-18; A Podpinka (Bel) bt R Vimi (Slovak) 12-21 21-15 21-17 21-19; J-P Gatien (Fr) bt Kim Song Hui (N Kor) 21-16 21-16 17-21 17-21 21-16. Men's singles, fourth round: O Waldner bt Mazunov 19-21 21-16 21-16 13-21 21-17; Kim Taek- soo (S Kor) bt J Huang 22-20 21-18 21-19; J-M Saive bt Grubba 21-17 21-15 21-19; Ma Wenge (Ch) bt Li Gun Sang (N Kor) 21-13 16-21 21-13 22-20; Wang Yonggang (Ch) bt P Saive 21-12 21-11 21-12; Primorac bt Rosskopf 21-15 14-21 21-16 16-21 21-16; Podpinka bt Wang Tao (Ch) 21-15 21-17 19-21 14-21 22-20; P Gatien bt Samsonov 21-17 20-22 21-15 22-20. Quarter-finals: Waldner bt Kim 21-10 21-9 21-18; J-M Saive bt Ma 12-21 21-19 21-17 13-21 21-13; Primorac bt Wang Yonggang 22-20 21-10 19-21 21-13; Gatien bt Podpinka 21-12 28-26 17-21 10-21 21-17.

Women's singles, quarter-finals: O Badescu (Rom) bt Li Bun Hui (N Kor) 21-13 21-13 20-22 21-19; Hyun Jung-hwa (S Kor) bt Chen Zihe (Ch) 21-17 21-19 21-8; Gao Jun (Ch) bt N Struse (Ger) 21-17 21-17 21-10, Chen Jing (Tai) bt Zheng Yuan (Ch) 21-17 25-23 20-22 21-17. Semi-finals: Hyun bt Badescu 17-21 21-17 22-20 11-21 22-20; Chen Jing bt Gao 21-9 21-15 21-14.

Mixed doubles, semi-finals: Wang Tao and Liu Wei (Ch) bt Ma Wenge and Qiao Yunping (Ch) 21-18 21-11 21-12; Yoo Nam-kyo and Hyun Jung-hwa (S Kor) bt Li Sun Il and Yu Sun Bok (N Kor) 21-14 21-14 21-14. Final: Wang Tao and Liu Wei bt Yoo Nam-kyo and Hyun Jung-hwa (SKorea) 22-20 13-21 21-9 21-13.