Zoltan Berczik, the captain of the Hungarian Men’s World Championship winning team in 1979 always selected Gabor Gergely to play the last match should it be necessary.

Always he preferred Gergely to Istvan Jonyer and Tibor Klampar.

In Moscow, at the Liebherr World Team Championships on Thursday 27th May 2010, Hungary found a new Gergely.

They found Daniel Kosiba.

The 18 year old was the backbone of success against Sweden, as Hungary posted a three-two win; he beat Jens Lundqvist in the second match of the duel and in the vital fifth deciding contest he overcame Pär Gerell.

Not only did he defeat the more experienced Swede, he posted a resounding straight games victory!

“I’ve no idea how I felt before the match”, said Daniel Kosiba, trying to come to terms with his quite heroic performance.”

He was in a daze.

“I thought about the tactics, I’d never played Gerell before, this is the best day of my life”, he continued. “I just feel so good, I’m in the zone.”

Good, so does the rest of Hungary, they must be dancing in the streets of Budapest.

“I was pleased with my performance against Gerell even though I lost, he’s a nightmare for me, really difficult for me to play against that style”, said Janos Jakab. “Against Lundqvist I got it just right!”

Ferenc Paszy, a true gentleman was equally delighted.

“Yes!” agreed Paszy and Jakab. “We have the new Gergely, we have every confidence in him.”

And so they should, in Moscow, the young man who disappeared from the Boys’ Singles event without a win in the group stage of proceedings at the Volkswagen World Junior Championships in December 2009 before winning silver with Dora Madarasz, had completely turned the tables.

He was simply magnificent, mature beyond his years.

It was first blood to Sweden thanks to the efforts of Pär Gerell; he beat Janos Jakab in a contest where he was consistently forced back from the table and required to play in Mikael Appelgren mode.

Logic, to some extent, suggested that if the Hungarian made good use of the table and could force the Swede into the deep grass then he was the favourite.

Alas for Hungary, the theory did not work.

Under pressure Gerell is increasingly proving to be a fine competitor, he fought, he played consistently in the fifth game and striving to be positive, Jakab made errors.

First blood to Sweden but Hungary responded with Daniel Kosiba giving a most mature performance; in a contest which was very much the powerful backhand of Daniel Kosiba against the powerful forehand of Jens Lundqvist, it was the powerful backhand that prevailed.

Kosiba lost the first game but kept a cool head to win the next three and level the score in the contest.

Success for Hungary but then Sweden recaptured the advantage in the battle of the left handers with Robert Svensson proved a shade too fast for the powerful Ferenc Paszy.

He posted a four games win.

Advantage Hungary, then level with Janos Jakab in total control of the proceedings, Hungary levelled. Against the more powerful Jens Lundqvist, the Hungarian directed his early attacks into the body of the Swede, he tested the speed of Jens Lundqvist.

The Swedish star is powerful but his not Speedy Gonzales; Jakab forced errors from the backhand of Jens Lundqvist. In three straight games he succeeded.

Hungary had recovered yet again.

However, the odds were surely with the in form and more experienced Gerell.

Not so, the no.1 junior ranked player in Europe in 2009 was coming of age very quickly; displaying superb composure, he beat the left handed Swede in three straight games.

Hungary now face Korea in the quarter-finals of the Men’s Team event.