Champions League Women | 26 Jan 2016

LIU Jia: Our unbelievable success against great team from Metz was pure sport

The best Linz player comments on breathtaking returning quarter-final match of ECLW, in which Austrian team won with one single point difference (347:346)

 

„Last year I could not win a match against Metz, it won’t happen again”, promised Linz`s best player LIU Jia day before the first quarter-final leg of 2015/16 ECLW. In the next two clashes between these two clubs she won all four possible matches, becoming a hero of the most thrilling encounter in the ECLW history so far: Linz AG Froschberg progressed to the semi-final with one single point difference - 3:2 / 2:3 (19:19, 347:346).

 

“Of course, we are unbelievable happy”, stated LIU Jia, 2005 individual European champion. “Metz was a very fair and sympathic rival, and the success is also very big for us because this match against the great team from Metz, was pure sport. It showed me that sport and table tennis can give you special highlights that you will miss after the career..."

 

President of double ECLW champion (2009, 2013) Gunther RENNER explains what he thought when Metz led 2:1 in the second quarter-final leg:

“We came there as absolute underdog, we lost two of three first matches, we were out with 95 % of chances. I have now words regarding the great fighting spirit of our players, what they delivered. Especially because after the 1:2 deficit our players had only one thought - maybe we can even win today...  They thought… But they had no thoughts about the total win. “

 

Team manager Robert RENNER added:

“There can be no more thrill in a table tennis team match like it has been in this game. It`s not possible to make it closer. We are the winner now, but also Metz will be part of this historical game forever. I hope it will find the appropriate place in the archives of the ETTU Champions League. “