At London's ExCeL Arena, Kim, ranked 77th in the world, eliminated the 10th-ranked Joo from the third round with a 4-2 (11-5, 6-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 15-13) victory.
This was Joo's first match in the Olympics. He'd received byes through the first two rounds. After conceding the opening game, the South Korean fought back to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven competition.
But Kim, known more for his defensive style of play, was the aggressive one in this match. He took the next two games relying on hard drives to regain the lead.
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South Korean Joo Sae-hyuk (L) sends a serve against North Korea's Kim Hyok-bong on July 30, 2012, during the men's singles table tennis match at the London Olympics. Kim took the match in six games. (Yonhap) |
In the sixth game, Kim blew a 10-8 lead and was forced into deuce four times before prevailing 15-13.
Amid strained inter-Korean ties in recent years, sports exchange between the countries has virtually stopped. The two countries marched in under a unified Korean flag at the opening ceremonies for the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, but haven't organized a joint march since.
South Korea has 245 athletes competing in 22 sports, while North Korea has 56 in 11 sports.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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