In the women's team table tennis quarter-finals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the action was just as thrilling. Germany defeated India 3-1, with Annett Kaufmann leading her team with a standout performance in the opening match against Archana Girish Kamath. The victory secured Germany’s place in the semifinals, where they will face Japan.

In another quarter-final clash, the People's Republic of China showcased their dominance by defeating Chinese Taipei 3-0. This win ensures that China will meet the Republic of Korea in the semifinals.

The results set up an exciting semifinal lineup: Germany will go up against Japan, while China will face the Republic of Korea. The first celebration of the day on August 7th was led by Germany’s Annett Kaufmann, who played a pivotal role in their victory over India, setting the tone for the rest of the matches.

Legend Timo Boll bows out

After an illustrious 25-year career, Timo Boll is retiring from international table tennis. The Paris 2024 Olympics will mark his final international commitment, and his seventh Olympic appearance will place him in an elite group of table tennis players.

Boll, who made his Olympic debut at Sydney 2000, will become only the sixth player to compete in seven Olympic Games, joining the ranks of Jörgen Persson, Zoran Primorac, Jean-Michel Saive, Segun Toriola, and Olufunke Oshonaike.

In an emotional Instagram post, Boll announced his retirement with a heartfelt message, "The time has come. Thank you all for a great journey." In the accompanying video, he expressed his mixed emotions, saying, "I have often spoken about my fear of this day and this decision, but it was clear that this day was unavoidable."

“It’s time for me to say goodbye to the world stage of active sport. After much, much reflection, I have decided to end my international table tennis career after my seventh Olympic Games,” Timo Boll announced. “I’m really grateful for a career in which I was able to win a lot of tournaments, although winning or losing was not always my top priority.”

As an eight-time European champion in men's singles, Boll has battled injuries in recent years, which he touched upon in his farewell video. “I was, and I am, part of a sport I love in a special way, but my career has left many marks and my body no longer functions in a way that makes daily training and tournaments fun.”

Though Boll will step back from the international stage after Paris and no longer compete in World Table Tennis events, he will continue to play in the German league for one more year. “It’s not quite over after the Olympics, I will be active for Borussia Düsseldorf for another season until 2025,” he said.

Boll has won two Olympic silver medals in the men’s team event for Germany and will team up with Dang Qiu and Dmitrij Ovtcharov for Paris 2024.