Table tennis final for the Swedish men – so they can win against China

Final day is here, and this afternoon the eyes of the whole world are directed towards the Swedish men’s table tennis team. Will they succeed in beating the great dominant, China?
– We have to play at least as well as against Japan, says table tennis legend Mikael “Äpplet” Appelgren in Nyhetsmorgon.

Sweden faces three of the highest-ranked players in the world when the ping-pong final gets underway, but Mikael Appelgren is optimistic.

It’s double first, anything can happen there, he says.

Especially doubles is a strong discipline for the Swedes. According to Appelgren, Kristian Karlsson, in the Swedish team, is one of the world’s best doubles players today.

Anton Källberg has also impressed during the Olympics – something he had the opportunity to show during the semi-final against Japan on Wednesday.

At the same time, one of the championship’s biggest stars, Truls Möregårdh, has already beaten world number one Fan Zhendong once. The Chinese team knows about that, says Appelgren.

China’s approach to the final

Sweden will therefore leave the Olympics in Paris with at least two silver medals in their luggage, the ping pong men signed. But of course, it is the gold that is hoped for today. Mikael Appelgren is already nervous.

I can’t sit still!

According to Appelgren, China enters the final with a clear goal. They can’t lose this, the gold is going home to China – full stop. But he does not rule out Sweden.

If there can be some nerves in the match, and if we can start well, then we know long ago that there can be some gravel in the machinery for the Chinese, he says.