Timo Boll takes gold at table tennis European Championship

WARSAW - Germany's Timo Boll won his eighth European title as the 40-year-old beat his compatriot Dimitrij Ovtcharov 4-1 in the final match of the men's singles competition at the European Individual Championships in Warsaw on Sunday.

Four-time Olympic medalist Ovtcharov made a stunning start to win the first set 11-9. The 32-year-old found himself on the best way to repeat his successes from 2013 and 2015 when he stood on the highest podium. However, Boll leveled the result and then continued the momentum to win four consecutive games.

"I'd just like to say congratulations to my friend and teammate Timo Boll for winning an incredible 8th European title. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be for me today, but all credit to Timo for playing so well," Ovtcharov wrote in his social media just after the match.

Boll can celebrate his 20th gold medal in the continental championships.

The final in the women's singles tournament was also a German issue as Petrissa Solja faced Shan Xiaona. Solja won 4-1 to stand on the European Championship podium in singles for the first time in her career.

Earlier on the day, Solja and Shan had won the women's doubles after the duo prevailed 3-2 in the final against their national team colleagues Nina Mittelham and Sabine Winter.

For Solja it is the second European gold in doubles competition as she turned out to be the best in 2013 alongside her then-partner Winter.