by Simon Daish

Timo Boll had been scheduled to meet China’s Zhang Jike in the top half of the semi-finals draw on Sunday 10th June for a place in the final but with the match now not going ahead, the latter player will automatically progress to the title contest.

The neck injury, which originated at the 2016 Olympic Games, was beginning to show signs of returning during Timo Boll’s quarter-finals tie with Japan’s Kenta Matsudaira and so the German has decided against adding any further risk to the issue.

Hear the unfortunate news from the man himself below: