Calderano secures Brazil's first table tennis semi-final in Olympics

Hugo Calderano secured an authoritative victory, marking Brazil's historic first appearance in an Olympic table tennis semi-final. He defeated South Korea's Jang Woojin in straight sets (4-0) during the quarter-finals, delivering his best performance yet at the Paris Olympics.

"I feel very happy to have elevated table tennis to such a high level at the Olympic Games. But then there's the feeling of 'let's go for the title.' I know I still have two matches, win or lose, so I have to stay focused," said Hugo Calderano in an interview with Sportv.

At 28, Hugo Calderano stands as the leading figure in Brazilian table tennis. Having already equaled his previous achievement from the Tokyo Olympics by reaching the quarter-finals, Calderano has now made history in his third Olympic appearance by advancing to the semi-finals. For the first time, he is in direct contention for a medal.

"A medal is my primary goal at any Olympic Games. I remember feeling very sad and upset for a few hours after my loss in Tokyo, but then I quickly shifted my focus to training and improving my performance for Paris." Said Calderano in a statement to the Brazilian Table Tennis Confederation (CBTM).

The semi-final is scheduled for Friday morning (Jul. 2). Brazil’s top player, ranked 6th in the world, will face the winner of the match between Egypt’s Omar Assar (ranked 22nd) and Sweden’s Truls Moregard (ranked 26th), who recently defeated China’s world number 1, Wang Chuqin.