From: rio@me.utoronto.ca (Oscar del Rio)
Subject: The World Champion Story
Organization: UofT Mechanical Engineering
Distribution: rec
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 01:03:57 GMT

(Taken from a DONIC brochure)

The Persson Story

There is like a stamp on the forehead of Jorgen Persson that
he is Swedish.  Tall, blonde and reliable.  
Inside he is incredibly stubborn and ambitious, 
which does not become visible until this
kind, calm and very popular personality stands at a table
tennis table.  Sometimes not even then, since he tends to
behave a little listless there also, as if it doesn't matter to
him if he wins or loses.

But never when it is really, really important.  At the last
two World Championships for example, he has reached the
finals of the Men's singles and including the team event he
lost altogether only two matches.  That is pretty amazing.

The loss to Waldner in the finals in Dortmund 1989
affected Jorgen Persson very much. in the Swedish flush of
victories, everybody forgot that Jorgen Persson had reached
the finals to play for the biggest title of all, and he had lost. 
A Swedish genius had beaten a very sensitive Swedish
craftsman - everything seemed in order since especially the
genius had already lost one final, the one against the
Chinese Jiang Jialiang in New Delhi 1987.

Jorgen Persson was deeply mortified and was wondering if
Dortmund was his only chance in his whole life to become
World Singles champion.  Ever since, he has refused to
watch the final on video.

During the autumn of 1990 Persson seemed far away from
getting his revenge, while the genius seemed even more
brilliant than normal.  Persson experimented  with  new
services and to play more backhands in his style, which
ended in a very passive and indifferent behaviour at the
table.  At Christmas time he decided to turn back to his old
way of playing, which means the good old services and the
good old fighting and struggling to be able to reach as
many balls as possible with the long and varied forehand
loop.

At the European Top-12 in February he finished third and
felt on his way.  During the last three Weeks of training
with the Swedish national team before the World
Championships in Chiba, Persson found himself having
overwhelming creative inspiration.

With a great deal of confidence he went to Japan.

In Chiba he lost one Singles in the team competition
(against Saive of Belgium), and he won the last and
decisive fight against Lupulesku in the fifth and decisive
match in the finals against Yugoslavia.
In the Singles event, Persson had his biggest crisis against
Saive again in the round before the quarter finals.  That
morning Persson felt very tired and indifferent.  In the
semi-finals of the Doubles together with Erik Lindh against
Peter Karlsson and Thomas von Scheele, Persson was
alarmingly passive.  Afterwards, in the Singles against
Saive, he won the first game but lost the following two
easily

- I have no strength to fight properly, Jorgen complained to
Stellan Bengtsson, his coach and privately also his close
friend.  Bengtsson became angry.  He strongly felt the risk
that Jorgen could lose the match and fall out from the
tournament.  SMACK! Spontaneously Stellan gives Persson
a box on his ear and so he wakes up.  Persson wins the
game and in the intermission before the fifth, Stellan wants
to give him one box more.

- Yeah come on man, Jorgen jests, Stellan Bengtsson gives
him one little Tyson more, and then Persson wins the
decisive game comfortably.

- This no one else would dare do to me, Jorgen commented
when he revealed the story for me. lt was only because we
know each other so well privately.  But we were both very
astonished when it happened as it has never happened
before.

The quarters against Grubba o Poland was decided at 13: 12
to Jorgen in the fifth game.  Then Persson fell on his back
when he tried to reach a ball far out to his forehead,
Grubba is 100% sure that the point is his and Pushes the
ball back safely.  But then Persson raised his heavy body
and ran into the table, and won the rally with his
spectacular backhand smash. 14: 12 instead of 13: 13 and
once again good old Grubba is a defeated man.
The semi-final against Kim Taek Soo of Korea, became the
most delightful match of Persson in Chiba, the final versus
Waldner the tightest.

Before the final in Dortmund 1989 Persson and Waldner
warmed up together.  That Persson declined in Chiba.  Here
should not be a game between friends, more a war of
brothers. in Dortmund it was a misunderstanding of the
time schedule which made the preparations before the finals
very busy - in Chiba Jorgen could prepare in that calm
tempo that is his.

In the first game, Waldner seemed to try to knock Persson
immediately by smashing backhands.  At the Swedish
closed about one month before, that was an effective tactic
from Waldner.  He won the first five points by killing
backhands and since backhand normally is "JO's" weakest
weapon, Persson resigned and it seemed like he could never
come through that shock.  In Chiba though, Waldner misses
6 - 7 backhands and Persson is ahead 9 - 1.

- Even though, it is 18 - 18 in that game, Jorgen remembers
that if "JO" would have won there, he would have played
relaxed in the following games and would be very very
difficult to beat.

Persson himself continued to play calmly, methodically and
with a great deal of determination.  Rarely he put a lot of
speed on the ball himself, instead he stressed Waldner to
mistakes through playing the ball safely backhand to
backhand and answered when Waldner tried to raise the
tempo.  Persson was mentally strenghened by the fact that
Waldner lost his poker face and threw his racket in the air
in despair and often shook his head in disappointment. 3 -
0 in games and nothing really to talk about.

What did you think of when you had the match point?

- Of Madeleine, my girlfriend.  And of mum and dad who
I knew sat in front of the TV screen and were even more
 nervous than I was.

Why is Sweden best in table tennis?

- We are more allround than our opponents and we have
very few weaknesses in our styles.  We practise intensely
and effectively and we are brought up to take responsibility
in critical and decisive moments at the table.  That we
manage because from an early age we have dialogues with
our coaches, open dialogue where both persons give and
take.  

And the difference between you and Waldner
compared to Appelgren and Lindh who have never become
World Singles, Champions?

- "JO" and I are very rarely disturbed by something around
the playing court during matches.  And we dare to use our
weapons of attack also when we play poorly and are
nervous.

And the difference between you and Waldner?

- I must work harder for the points.  What "JO" makes with
the ball is impossible to copy.  I practise more methodically
on my weaknesses, for example a lot of multi ball with
drills like foot work and first attack with my backhand. 
Waldner plays a lot more games.  I think there all the time
he is testing new things at the table.  If I try the same I lose
my rhythm.

So it is, I think.  When Waldner plays at his maximum no
one has a chance.  But Waldner relies too much on his
geniality, while Persson practises his weak points over and
over again.

With his self-possesion and his intelligence of playing,
Persson managed to force the "god Waldner" to play like a
human being in Chiba.  And in this case Persson is the
stronger because he keeps his level of playing higher and
higher all through the matches during the tournament.

Jorgen Persson is World Champion because his lowest level
of playing is at least the highest of all players when it is
really really important.

Jens Fellke

----

Oscar.

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