After three days of matches in ETTU Europe Cup Women Stage 1 in Spanish Linares, six clubs secured their place in the next phase. The Group winners are Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca (ESP), ASD Tennistavolo Sassari (ITA), and Bebetto AZS UJD Częstochowa (POL), while the runners-up are Fenerbahçe Sports Club (TUR), TalTech Sport Club (EST), and CP Lyssois Lille Métropole (FRA). These six clubs will join the 3rd- and 4th-placed teams from Champions League Women Stage 1. From there, the four winners and four runners-up of Stage 2 will qualify for the quarterfinals, where they will meet the third-placed teams from Champions League Women Stage 2. Group A Italy’s ASD Tennistavolo Sassari, represented by Tatiana GARNOVA, Irina CIOBANU, and Teodora SIMON, remained unbeaten across the three days of play. Israel’s TalTech Sport Club (Airi AVAMERI, Agata ZAKRZEWSKA, Reelica HANSON) finished second with two wins and one defeat. Group B Bebetto AZS UJD Częstochowa, with Emiko TAGUCHI, Tetyana BILENKO, and Paulina KRZYSIEK, dominated Stage 1 undefeated. On second place, CP Lyssois Lille Métropole (Shuohan MEN, Lucie MOBAREK, Margo DEGRAEF) joined them in advancing to the next stage. Group C Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca, featuring Pauline CHASSELIN, Ayano UGI, and Eugenia SASTRE, remained unbeaten and finished at the top of the group. They recorded solid 3–1 wins over both KS Wamet Dąbcze and TTC Meerdaal Leuven. Their toughest challenge came from Fenerbahçe Sports Club, with Elizabeta SAMARA, Gül Pembe ÖZKAYA, and Ece HARAC, who pushed the Spanish side to the full distance and secured the runners-up position.
ETTU Europe Cup Men: Marcozzi, Stockerau, Toruń and Borges Vall Stage 1 Winners
The Stage 1 of the ETTU Europe Cup Men, played over the past three days in Romania, produced eight qualifiers, the winners and runners-up of the four groups, who advance to Stage 2. The top two teams from each group move forward, while the third- and fourth-placed clubs drop into the Europe Trophy. The group winners are: Italy’s ASD Marcozzi Cagliari, Austria’s UTTC Paneceo Stockerau, Polish Energa Manekin Toruń and Spain’s Enoli Borges Vall. The runners-up are: Spanish Alicante TM, Polish KS Olesno, Austria’ SPG Linz and the hosts Romania’s CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc. Group A ASD Marcozzi Cagliari, represented by Federico VALLINO, Rares SIPOS, and Massimo FERRERO, topped the group after defeating both opponents, KTS Gliwice and Alicante TM. The Polish side pushed Marcozzi to a full-distance battle but fell short. Later, Gliwice concluded the tournament without a win, losing to Alicante’s trio Alberto LILLO, Diego LILLO, and Jose GUILLOT. Group B Spanish team Enoli Borges Vall, led by Francesc CARRERA, Marc DURAN, and José Luis ANDRADE, finished first after holding off the hosts CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc in a close five-match encounter. The Romanian side,Sebastian LOSO, Szilard GYÖRGY, Szabolcs TAMAS, delivered a strong challenge and deservedly secured second place. Group C Energa Manekin Toruń, composed of Dimitrije LEVAJAC, Asuka SAKAI, and Konrad KULPA, dominated the group, winning all matches without dropping a single individual encounter. SPG Linz, with Tomas SANCHI, Zhenlong LIU, and Tobias TISCHBERGER, secured second place, their only defeat coming at the hands of the group winners. STK Libertas Marinkolor Dubrovnik and Irun Leka Enea finished third and fourth respectively. Group D UTTC Paneceo Stockerau, with Mykhailo LOVHA, Khalid ASSAR, and Tarek AL-SAMHOURY, lived up to expectations and took first place. Their decisive victory over KS Olesno (featuring Alan KULCZYCKI, Daniel LIS, Radek MRKVIČKA) in a five-match battle proved crucial. Portuguese side Clube Desportivo 1º de Maio finished without a win.
LEBRUN Brothers Lead Montpellier to 3–1 Victory in Austria (VIDEO)
Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier made a powerful start to their Round of 16 campaign, leaving Austria with a well-earned 3–1 victory over SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt. The French champions showed their star quality, with Félix and Alexis LEBRUN once again proving decisive in crucial moments. Montpellier entered the match with firepower and justified their status as one of the prime contenders for a place in the Final Four. Wiener Neustadt, seeded No. 5, battled valiantly and managed to take one point through Navid SHAMS, but ultimately could not match the French visitors. The opening match saw Alexis LEBRUN overcome Piotr CYRNEK 3–1, with both players producing long, high-quality rallies. After the French star claimed the tight first game, CYRNEK responded well, but Alexis regained control and closed the match with authority. In the second singles, Félix LEBRUN delivered a trademark performance, sweeping Andrei ISTRATE 3–0. Wiener Neustadt struck back through Navid SHAMS, who produced a superb 3–1 win over Antoine HACHARD, giving the home crowd a well-deserved moment of celebration. SHAMS handled the key points with maturity, taking the fourth game 12–10 to keep his team in the tie. However, Félix LEBRUN returned to the table for the fourth match and sealed Montpellier’s victory, again defeating CYRNEK 3–0. “It was a very good match, and we finished it in the best possible way, a 3–1 win, which gives us a strong advantage before the return leg. I’m proud of Alexis and Felix’s performances. The whole team handled a very difficult encounter well. We knew we were the favorites, but it’s never easy to play under pressure when you’re expected to win every time. It was a particularly tough match for Alexis in the opening match, not only because the opposing team played well, but also because the atmosphere was intense. Their supporters were fantastic and very loud, which made it hard to stay focused. Alexis was outstanding, and Felix, with two identical wins (7, 6, 6), performed at the highest level and kept everything under control. Antoine HACHARD had his chances against Navid SHAMS, but playing away is never easy you arrive on the day of the match, everything feels unfamiliar, and there’s no time to adapt, unlike the home team. Now we have a month to prepare for the return leg at home, and we’re one step closer to the quarterfinals,” said coach Vincent AVRIL. SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt – Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier 1–3
Dekorglass Działdowo Start Strong With Straight-Match Victory in Havířov (VIDEO)
Last season’s ETTU Champions League quarterfinalists KS Dekorglass Działdowo began their 2025/26 Round of 16 campaign in style, securing a convincing 3–0 away victory over SKST Havířov in the opening leg. Although the final scoreline suggests a comfortable win, several moments were closely contested, with the Polish side showing superior composure in the decisive points. Działdowo set the tone immediately. Jakub DYJAS defeated Gustavo GÓMEZ in straight games without major alarm. Tomislav PUCAR then extended the lead with a 3–1 victory over Štěpán BRHEL. “We are happy that we won. We expected a very tough encounter, and it proved to be true — all the matches were close. But all three of us were at the top of our task in the crucial moments. My match did not start well, since I lost the opening game. BRHEL forced me to change my tactics. I tried different services, which lifted my game. I gained a 2–1 advantage, but in the fourth game BRHEL led 6–2. I pushed myself to stay calm. This was my first match for the club, and I am happy that I performed well,” said Tomislav PUCAR. In the final match, Samuel KULCZYCKI resisted a determined challenge from Michal BLINKA, sealing the tie after winning several crucial late points. “We are of course very happy with the victory, because Havířov is not a weak adversary at all. The match was much closer than the result suggests. All the singles were difficult, with just a few balls and key moments deciding them. We did not underestimate anything — we came with the strongest line-up, because we want to fight for participation in the Final Four. This was an important first step,” said Dekorglass Działdowo coach Michal DZUBANSKI. SKST Havířov – KS Dekorglass Działdowo 0–3
ttc berlin eastside Stay Perfect in Group C With Win Over Linz AG Froschberg (VIDEO)
Reigning champions ttc berlin eastside continued their 2025/26 ETTU Champions League Women campaign with a solid 3–1 victory over Linz AG Froschberg in Germany. In Stage 2 Group C, the six-time champions had previously opened with a convincing 3–0 away win against Saint-Denis TT 93, and they now remain unbeaten after two rounds. Despite playing without Nina MITTELHAM and Miyuu KIHARA, Berlin Eastside delivered another confident performance. Natalia BAJOR took the lead role in the lineup but was unable to stop Thailand’s Suthasini SAWETTABUT, who earned the only point for the Austrian club. The backbone of Berlin’s victory was Japan’s Yuka KANEYOSHI, who produced two commanding performances, first overcoming Britt EERLAND and later defeating SAWETTABUT in straight games to secure the team win. At position three, Xiaona SHAN showed her trademark precision, sweeping Andrea PAVLOVIC 3–0 to restore Berlin’s lead at a crucial moment. ttc berlin eastside – Linz AG Froschberg 3–1
