Tue, July 31, 2012
LONDON, July 30 (Xinhua)-- South Korea's Joo Saehyuk, world's top chopper, suffered an unexpected setback in London, losing 2-4 to Kim Hyok Bong of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Joo was the first to be knocked out among the top 16 seeds in table tennis men's singles. His defeat was a shock to many, as the 32-year-old player, No. 6 seed, was believed to have great odds of success when competing with 26-year-old Kim, No. 32 seed.
Joo was apparently frustrated but remained cool after the defeat. He said he was not well-tuned to the competition and his failure was more a result of "mental problem."
"He (Kim) played very well. No mistake. Good control. I am very bad. No control. No feeling. Moving very slow. I don't have any physical problem. It's mental problem. When you have no feeling, you have no confidence,"he said.
Joo played against Kim twice in 2007 World Championships and 2010 Asian Games. He won both.
Joo was present in Athens in 2004 and was beaten in the third round of the men's singles event by China's Wang Liqin. Current word No. 10, he was seen as a strong contender for an Olympic medal in London.
