Olympic vice-champion in singles this summer in Paris, the Swede Truls Moregard stands out in particular thanks to his racket which is totally different from the other players. An advantage which he intends to use this Friday against Alexis Lebrun during the WTT in Montpellier.
Sensation of the last Olympic Games, which he finished with a silver medal around his neck in singles after having performed exploits against the Chinese world number one Wang Chuqin then against the world number 6, the Brazilian Hugo Calderano in Paris, Truls Moregard is one of the attractions of the WTT in Montpellier, broadcast for free on Twitch and the RMC Sport Youtube channel this week.
Alexis Lebrun’s next opponent in the round of 16 this Friday, the Swede will want to take his revenge against the Habs who humiliated him last week during the final of the European Championships in Linz.
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A “a bit special” wood
To do this, Moregard will use a rather unusual racket. If the majority of table tennis players use a rounded racket, the Swede’s is heptagonal in shape, the ‘Cybershape’ from the Stiga brand. While there are no rules as to the shape and size of a table tennis racket, a professional table tennis player can present themselves with a blade the size of a tennis racket as long as the shape is flat and the coatings are approved.
“It’s a bit of a particular wood because it challenges the classic wood which is traditionally rounded. This one is in a hexagonal shape with sides. This allows a better area of contact”, explained the French player Esteban Dorr, 25th player in the world. in doubles, at RMC Sport.
A racket that helps him already have a solid track record at just 22 years old. Quadruple reigning Swedish champion, he stood out at the world championships in 2021, reaching the singles final when he was only ranked 77th in the world. This summer in Paris, he finished twice as Olympic vice-champion, in singles and in team with Sweden.
