World champion Wang Hao pulls out Chinese national trials
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Former world No. 1 paddler Wang Hao has withdrawn from the Chinese table tennis team's trial for Rotterdam world championships after injuring his waist on Sunday.
The 2009 world championships winner picked up the lower back injury during his second Group A match here Saturday night against arch-rival Ma Long, which the top-ranked Chinese lost in six sets.
Wang kicked off his third group match against young teammate Liu Yan after having received medical treatment but was forced out while trailing 3-2 in sets.
The 27-year-old, however, has ensured a last eight position after beating Li Ping 4-1 on Saturday.
According to Liu Guoliang, head coach of the Chinese men's table tennis team, Wang Hao, who finished top in the first phase of the trial in January, has almost sealed a place in the team's world championships squad after an aggregate top-four finish.
The 51st world table tennis individual championships will be held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands from May 8 to 15.
