The negative impact of banning the use of solvent-based speed glue has gradually faded away, said top table tennis players here at the Tournament of Champions.

Though the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) had faced strong opposition from Asian and European powers for its ban on the use of the speed glue, which took effect on Sept.1, 2008, professional players seemed to adapt quickly to the non-speed glued racket as top seeds had made through to the semifinals of the season-ending event in China.

Olympic champion Zhang Yining succumbed easily to Singapore's top player Li Jia Wei in the first set before coming back to wrap up the semifinal encounter 4-1, but the current world No. 1 declined to blame on the non-speed glued racket rather than the cold weather.

"It's just too cold in the hall and I could not feel my fingers," said the Beijing native. "As long as I fixed attention on the match, it went more and more smoothly."

Top ranked European Timo Boll felt excited about his improvement in handling the new situation under the glue ban, although he narrowly missed out on a slot in the men's singles final after losing 4-3 to Wang Liqin.

"I've played four or five tournament with water-based glue and happy to see myself more and more adapted," said the 27-year-old German.

"It's hard in the beginning but I has to do the change as everyone faces just the same difficulties," he added.

"Solvent-based speed glue could help increase speed and spin, and nearly all the players had learned to play table tennis with a speed glued racket," explained Zhang Yining. "So the use of water-based glue brings a change to the rhythm of play, and we have to adapt to it."

"Next in this winter's training camp, I will focus mainly on improving my play with the water-based glue racket," she added.

The ITTF had decided to ban the speed glue in 2004 but the ban was postponed several times because some players and table tennis equipment manufacturers said they were not ready.

In 2006, the ITTF ruled that the ban would take effect on Sept.1, 2008.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2009)