TABLE TENNIS: The herculean task facing Australian table tennis player William Henzell proved too great at the 2015 World Cup in Sweden.

33-year-old Henzell, competing in his eighth World Cup, lost both his qualifying matches in Halmstad.

Henzell, currently ranked 127th in the world, lost his opening match 11-5, 11-9, 11-3, 11-7 to Singapore’s Ning Gao, and then lost 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-8 to hometown favourite, Kristian Karlsson.

Adelaide-born Henzell has dominated table tennis in Australia for more than a decade, but is yet to decide if he’ll try next year to qualify for a fourth Olympics.

He admits since the London Olympics table tennis has not been his main priority, preferring to focus on his work and private life.

But Australian head coach Jens Lang said in the lead-up to this week’s World Cup that he would like Henzell to put his hand up for one last Olympics.

The World Cup is not a qualification event for Rio. Australia will try and qualify through the Oceania qualifiers in Bendigo in March next year.

Ross Solly 
Table Tennis Australia