Jha makes history for US in men’s table tennis, world No. 1 from China loses in round of 32
United States' Kanak Jha plays against Greece's Panagiotis Gionis during a men's singles round of 32 table tennis game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Petros Giannakouris]
PARIS (AP) — Kanak Jha has secured the U.S. its best Olympic run in men’s table tennis by reaching the last 16 at the Paris Games. He beat Panagiotis Gionis of Greece 4-2 to top Jimmy Butler’s round-of-32 appearance at the 1992 Barcelona Games. The shock of the tournament came when world No. 1 Wang Chuqin of China lost to 26th-ranked Truls Moregard of Sweden. Luxembourg’s 61-year-old Ni Xia Lian was eliminated in women’s singles. French teenage sensation Felix Lebrun reached the last eight in the men’s singles by defeating Dimitrij Ovtcharov 4-3 despite squandering a 3-0 lead.
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Sweden's Truls Moregrad reacts after his win against China's Wang Chuqin in a men's singles round of 32 table tennis game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Petros Giannakouris