TIMO BOLL credits his battles against Chinese paddlers for making him the player he is today. “I wouldn’t have become such a good player without the Chinese,” the evergreen German, a four-time Olympic medalist and former world No 1, told Xinhua in a recent interview. “They improve me so much. I’m always curious to play them. It doesn’t matter if I win or lose, afterward I’m always a better player when I meet them.” The eight-time European champion marveled at China’s ability to produce generation after generation of top talent. “If I play Chinese players, I have to be prepared from the first ball because you have to read the game very carefully,” he said. “You have to be very sharp and you cannot afford easy mistakes, and you have to be really on point in the game,” added Boll, who throughout his career has taken on multiple generations of Chinese greats, including Liu Guoliang, Kong Linghui, Wang Liqin, Ma Lin, Zhang Jike and Ma Long. “The more often you play them, you feel immediately that you improve,” said the world No 10, adding: “It’s nice to follow the whole table tennis history of China and be a small part of it.” Boll, a six-time Olympian, said the depth of Chinese table tennis is attributable to its unique system. (Xinhua) | 