Champions League Men | 9 Oct 2015
Self-assured Chartres against incomplete Borussia
Photo: Courtesy ITTF
From today to Sunday TTCLM Round 2 will be held. Reigning champion Orenburg against Saarbrucken
The second Round of TTCLM will be held in the next three days, providing some of well known rivalries like one between Chartres and Borussia in the Group D. French side hosts ten times European champion in super good shape, bearing in mind that all its players succeded excellent results on the recent 2015 LIEBHERR ITTF European Championships at Ekaterinburg, especially Robert GARDOS who led Austrian national team to the gold medal. On the other side, German champion traveled to France without Timo BOLL who passes through recovery process.
“Gardos won Gold and Silver at European Championships last week, MONTEIRO Gold and GERELL Bronze. So all of them are self-assured. On the other hand Panos (GIONNIS) played good in Ekaterinburg, but Patrick (FRANZISKA) had problems at the beginning. Luckily he played better day by day. So we will fly to Chartres relaxed. This time it´s a match we normally cannot win,” stressed Borussia`s Coach Danny HEISTER.
Maybe, HEISTER has to appear in the player role, as manager Andreas PREUSS explained:
“In Chartres we are the underdog. Timo BOLL will miss the match and if Kamal ACHANTA will be ready to play we don´t know today. Maybe we have to play without Timo and Kamal. That would mean that our coach Danny HEISTER has to come back to the table. We will try to make one or two points. It would be sensational if we would win.”
Panagiotis GIONIS is aware that French team is favorite:
“Chartres has got a strong team and it´s always a tough match against them, with Timo. On Friday it´s an interesting challenge for us without him.”
In the Group A defending champion Orenburg plays away against the 2012 TTCLM semi-finalist Saarbrucken. Team manager and Head Coach of Russian champion, Viktor ANDREEV, has said:
“The successful performance of our players in the European Championship has served like good preparation before the match in Germany. Alexey SMIRNOV recovered from his injury. All these facts set up our team in an optimistic mood on the eve of the upcoming match”.
Dima OVTCHAROV will lead Orenburg who unexpectedly lost its opener at home against Walter Wels. Hence, Coach Valeriy SALABAEV seeks victory from his players:
“We understand how important it is to take the 1st place in the group stage, so in the remaining matches we count on success”.
In the other Group A game Angers hosts the 2014 Austrian champion Walter Wels.
Group B also presents some medalists from the Ekaterinburg event. Wienviertel Niederosterreich President, Dr. Johann FRIEDSCHRÖDER believes that Stefan FEGERL and Daniel HABESOHN will be able to keep their self confidence gained in the golden Austrian national team. They will host Russian club from their lucky city Ekaterinburg.
“UMMC Ekaterinburg is favorite in this match, but especially our players Stefan FEGERL and Daniel HABESOHN have much confidence because of their efforts at the European Championships. So we hope that our team can challenge UMMC”, said Johann FRIEDSCHRÖDER.
Olimpia Unia Grudziadz will meet at home GV Hennebont TT in the second Group B encounter. Both sides are motivated to achieve their first victory in the ongoing season.
In the Group C the 2014 TTCLM champion AS Pontoise Cergy plays away against KTS Energa Manekin Tourn, lead by runner-up of Single Event of 2015 LEIBHERR ITTF ECH Marcos FREITAS. Actual ETTU Cup winner, Eslovs hosts Werder Bremen.
Sunday`s clash between STEN Marketing and Bogoria closes the Round 2 of TTCLM. Team manager of Czech team Jan HRNCIRIK explains why this meeting is so important for his squad:
„For us it is crucial and very important match against Bogoria, because we would like to take at least 3rd place in the group. All players are very focused on this Sunday and we will do our best. “
The 2015/16 TTCLM Round 2
GROUP A: Saarbrucken – Fakel Gazproma Orenburg (October 9th, 19:00 CET), Vaillante Sports Angers TT – SPG Walter Wels (October 9th, 19:30 CET).
GROUP B: Olimpia Unia Grudziadz – GV Hennebont TT (October 9th, 17:00 CET), Wienviertel Niederosterreich – UMMC Verkhnaya Pyshma (October 10th, 20:15 CET)
GROUP C: KTS Energa Manekin Torun – AS Pontoise Cergy (October 9th, 18:00 CET), Eslovs Al Bordtennis – SV Werder Bremen (October 9th, 20:00 CET)
GROUP D: Chartres AS TT – Borussia Dusseldorf (October 9th, 19:00 CET), STEN Ostrov HB – Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki (October 11th, 18:00 CET).
