Croatian verteran Zoran Primorac beat Denmark's Michael Maze 4-2 to reach the top 16 at the table tennis tournament in the Beijing Olympics on Thursday.

The marathon clash was proved to be a nip and tuck competition with both players exchanging lead. Being tied 2-all in the first four sets, 33rd-ranked Primorac steadied himself to take the fifth set 11-7.

Wowing the audience with cross-court rallies, the sixth-time Olympian wounded up the tiebreaker 13-11 with a long shot which Maze tried desperately to handle but failed.

"He gave me a very hard fight, but I did not give up. It's hard for me to win, especially the last several points," said the 39-year-old.

"Maze defeated Wang Hao in Shanghai with his high balls and I said to myself that I would not like to be that one," he added.

Maze, ranked 20th, won a bronze medal at the 2005 table tennis worlds in Shanghai and was considered a rising star in Europe.

The 27-year-old said that he played his last match three months ago and felt a little stiff and nervous in the beginning of the match.

"I was frustrated. I am an emotional player and I've tried my best, " he said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2008)