Saive gives up Italy
Patrick Chila and Ni Xia Lian will not take part also
Thursday, May 2, 2002
ITTF Press Release
The top seed Jean-Michel SAIVE (BEL), on Wednesday cancelled his participation in the Italian Open.
SAIVE has been playing a lot and after his title win at the Qatar Open, the European Championships and the European Champions League finals, he is simply exhausted.
“After the Champions League final for Charleroi against Nieder österreich last Saturday he was incredibly tired. He wanted to go to Italy so he was hoping that after some days he would recover. He did not and then it does not make any sense to go” says the Belgian technical director Didier LEROY (BEL).
“Jean-Mi” is known very well for his energy and fighting spirit and he knows that without this he won’t reach anything at a Pro Tour event.
“Later in May the Belgian team is going to China to play a World Championships re-match and after that Jean-Mi goes to Japan to play. He really needed a rest and this is the only time he can take it”, says Didier LEROY.
The Italian Open has lost two other good names. On Wednesday the organisers received cancellations from the European Champion in Women’s Singles NI Xia Lian (LUX) and from Olympic doubles bronze medallist Patrick CHILA (FRA) who was injured in a French League match on Tuesday evening.
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