Champions League Men | 17 Oct 2013

WECL Round 2 smells like 2013 ECH

Women’s European Champions League Round 2 will be held this Friday and Saturday, with smell of recent 2013 LIEBHERR European Championships at Schwechat near Vienna. Some clubs are very optimistic, due to medals of their stars, other are hoping that WECL i

Women’s European Champions League Round 2 will be held this Friday and Saturday, with smell of recent 2013 LIEBHERR European Championships at Schwechat near Vienna. Some clubs are very optimistic, due to medals of their stars, other are hoping that WECL is good chance for return good shape and get new victories.

Group A, with three title pretenders, offers next games: TTC Berlin Eastside – Fenerbahce (October 19th, 19h30 CET), Metz – SVS STROCK (October 18th, 19h30 CET). In Group B are playing Zamek Tarnobrzeg – Linz AG Froschberg (October 18th, 17h00 CET), Budaorsi 2i SC – Tyumen (October 18th, 19h00 CET).

The game of the week is, no doubt, one at Berlin where 2012 WECL champions will meet actual no. 1 seed and last year’s ETTU Cup winner Fenerbahce. On of them must suffer first loss this Saturday. Host side is very confident after good results of its players in Schwechat last two weeks. Triple medalist SHAN Xiaona leads TTC Berlin Eastside, supported by team-mate from golden national team of Germany, Kristin SILBEREISEN, strong Hungarian Georgina POTA and 2011 individual ECH runner-up Irene IVANCAN. Turkish side is ready to confirm its ambitions on very hard soil, arriving with two times individual European champion Viktoria PAVLOVICH, while the names of CHING I Cheng, Elizabeta SAMARA and HU Melek also speak for themselves.

Defending champion Linz AG Froschberg plays at Poland, against last season’s ETTU Cup runner-up Zamek Tarnobrzeg. The 2005 individual European champion LIU Jia didn’t fulfill her expectations at WSA, while young Petrissa SOLJA clinched two gold medals. On the other side, HAN Ying reached one gold (team) and one semis (single).

“We have to say that after the ETTU Championships we have to realize that it will be very hard to win in Poland –  says Linz`s manager Gunther RENNER.- Of course, we are the reigning champions, but to play against a team which can play with PESOTSKA on Nr. 3 position (PESOTSKA won in Team Event against Romania 2 games) is a tough challenge for us. We started with practice at the first possible day after Euro Champs, and had to play Superleague in Budapest before we could finally drive with our bus to Tarnobrzeg. So it is a lot of km (about 2000), very much games and stress for the players, plus the opponent plays at home and is the favourite.”

Both squads won their opening games. RENNER emphasizes that upcoming clash could predict the battle for top spot in Group B:

“Our goal is to keep the chance high, that we can win the return match in Linz and make the first place in group. Of course, we are very happy to have our Team-baby Petrissa SOLJA with us, including her brand new Gold Medal from ECH in Teams and Double, we are very proud of her. Anyway we will fight till the end of the game, because we know that always when our girls stay with their backs to the wall and we needed 120% of them, they could always convince us. We are strong as a team, and we are maybe the only club that has a history with every player for years and so they are fighting for the club. So, it will not be easy for the polish team, we are burning for the game, it will be our most important game of the year 2013, and everybody in our team knows that!”

In same Group B, Budaorsi 2i SC expects Russian Tyumen. They will play for their first win (both lost 3:0 in opening round). Hungarian side, the 2013 WECL finalist, is hoping that could repeat last season’s performances when managed to beat some best ranked rivals.

Newly crowned individual European champion LI Fen (Sweden) is leading SVS STROCK`s team at Metz which has in its squad 2009 champion of Old Continent WU Jiaduo. Both team were beaten in Group A Round 1 games, so STROCK`s manager Martin SOROS expects 50:50-match in “group in which everyone could be 1st or 4th”.

Alex MILETIC, EWT, Alex MILETIC, EWT

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