The knockout phase of the ETTU Europe Cup Men got underway tonight with three matches played across Spain, Slovakia and Italy. Czechia’s SF SKK El Nino Praha secured a valuable advantage ahead of the return leg at home with a convincing away victory in Spain, controlling the tie from start to finish. Tomas KONECNY set the tone with a dominant straight-games win over Marc DURAN. The turning point followed in the second match, where David REITSPIES edged Francesc CARRERA in a hard-fought five-game encounter to double the lead. Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA then sealed the result in style, defeating Joan MASIP in straight games to complete a clean sweep for the visitors. “Today we expected a tougher fight, but only David faced real difficulties against Carrera. I started very well against Duran, playing consistently and with good intensity. Pryshchepa was tactically excellent against Masip, preventing him from playing his game or finding the right rhythm. David was a bit too passive at the start, but after adjusting his serve he found his rhythm. In the fifth set he was down 1–3, stayed focused, and won five points in a row to close the match,” explained KONECNY. Enoli Borges Vall – SF SKK El Nino Praha 0-3 In Slovakia, STK Vyhne recorded a 3–1 home win against Dojlidy Białystok, bouncing back after conceding the opening match. Patryk CHOJNOWSKI gave the visitors the early lead with a four-game win over Boguslaw KOSZYK, but the hosts responded decisively. Adam KLAJBER leveled the score with a composed straight-games victory against Piotr CHODORSKI, before Filip SZYMANSKI produced a commanding performance to overcome Piotr MICHALSKI. Returning to the table, KOSZYK redeemed himself by defeating CHODORSKI in four games, securing the first-leg advantage for STK Vyhne. STK Vyhne – Dojlidy Białystok 3-1 ASD Marcozzi Cagliari edged Real Club Cajasur Priego TM 3–2 in a tightly contested encounter, with the outcome decided only in the final match. The visitors took an early lead as Carlos MACHADO overcame Federico VALLINO in four games. Marcozzi responded through Carlo ROSSI, who showed resilience after dropping a dramatic opening game to defeat Hampus SODERLUND 3–1 and level the tie. The hosts then moved in front thanks to Jeet CHANDRA, who delivered a solid four-game win against Alejandro CALVO, putting Cagliari within touching distance of victory. Priego TM kept their hopes alive as SODERLUND returned to the table to beat VALLINO in straight games, forcing a decisive fifth match. In the decider, ROSSI produced a solid performance, defeating MACHADO in straight games to seal a hard-fought victory for ASD Marcozzi Cagliari. ASD Marcozzi Cagliari – Real Club Cajasur Priego TM 3–2
Wins for KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg, Linz AG Froschberg and UCAM Cartagena T.M (VIDEO)
In the Group D in ETTU Champions League Women Stage 2, UCAM Cartagena T.M have mathematically secured first place in the group, even though one fixture is still to be played. The Spanish side lead the standings with three wins from three matches, collecting six points, and can no longer be overtaken. Their position at the top was confirmed following the 3:1 victory over Étival ASRTT in Leg 2, which completed a perfect head-to-head record against the French team. With Etival ASRTT also on six points but having already completed all their matches, UCAM Cartagena hold the decisive advantage and remain out of reach regardless of the outcome of the final encounter. Étival ASRTT (FRA) finish the group phase in second place, while TTC Novi Sad occupy third position. Novi Sad are yet to play their final match against UCAM Cartagena, but even a victory would not be sufficient to alter the positions at the top of the table. As a result, UCAM Cartagena T.M progress as group winners, with Étival ASRTT advancing as runners-up, while TTC Novi Sad conclude their European campaign in the group stage. Tonight the hosts took an early lead as Fei QI overcame Liu YANGZI 3–1, setting the tone with controlled play in the key moments. Tin Tin HO then extended Cartagena’s advantage, defeating Jieni SHAO 3–1 to put the Spanish side firmly in control. Étival responded through Christina KALLBERG, who delivered a solid straight-games win over Daniela ORTEGA to keep the tie alive. However, any hopes of a comeback were short-lived. Returning to the table, Fei QI produced a dominant display, beating Jieni SHAO 3–0 to seal the match for UCAM Cartagena. “I am very happy with the team today to get the win. We competed well as a team and had a good performance. We are looking forward to the quarter final,” said Tin Tin HO. UCAM Cartagena T.M (ESP) – Etival ASRTT (FRA) 3:1 Linz AG Froschberg keep quarterfinal hopes alive with straight matches win over champions ttc berlin eastside Linz AG Froschberg recorded a convincing 3–0 home victory over the reigning champions, ttc berlin eastside, keeping their quarterfinal hopes alive. The Austrian side bounced back after two defeats in Stage 2 at home against Saint-Denis TT 93 and away to ttc berlin eastside in Germany. This result ensures that Linz AG Froschberg remain in contention for the knockout phase. The final Group C encounter, between Linz AG Froschberg and Saint-Denis TT 93 on Sunday, will decide second place in the group, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. TTC Berlin eastside concluded Stage 2 at the top of the standings with three wins and one defeat. On the table, Britt EERLAND set the tone for the hosts with a confident straight-games victory over Mia GRIESEL. Suthasini SAWETTABUT then extended Linz’s lead, recovering from the opening game to defeat Natalia BAJOR in four games. In the final match, Ivana MALOBABIC completed the clean sweep for the Austrian team, coming back from an early deficit to overcome Josephina NEUMANN 3–1 and seal an important win for Linz AG Froschberg. “We are very satisfied because this result gives us a better chance for the next match against the French team. Berlin did not come with their strongest lineup, but as we know, every player from Berlin can perform at a high level. Mia, for example, was part of the team that won the title last year, so her level is no surprise,”stated EERLAND.”We knew we had to give our best fight, and of course we wanted to win. Everyone was very sharp, very focused, and we all shared the same main goal, to make the next match against the French team a bit easier for us. So we will prepare now for that match and hopefully take our chance.” Linz AG Froschberg (AUT) – ttc berlin eastside (GER) 3–0 Tarnobrzeg finish Stage 2 unbeaten after fourth Group A victory in France Top seeds KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg recorded their fourth victory in Group A, finishing Stage 2 unbeaten at the top of the standings. The Polish club once again proved too strong for Saint-Quentin TT, following up their 3–0 home win with a 3–1 away success in France. Only one match remains to be played in the group, with MIRÓ Ganxets Costa Daurada set to host Saint-Quentin TT in three days’ time. The Spanish side have registered one win from three encounters, while the French club remain without a victory. In tonight’s match, Tarnobrzeg took the lead through Fu YU, who defeated Polina MIKHAILOVA in four games. Saint-Quentin briefly drew level as Linda BERGSTROM edged Xiaoxin YANG in a dramatic five-game contest, but that proved to be the hosts’ only point. Ying HAN then restored the advantage for the Polish team with a commanding straight-games win against Camille LUTZ, before Xiaoxin YANG returned to the table to defeat MIKHAILOVA in three games and seal the victory for the visitors. Saint-Quentin TT (FRA) – KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg (POL) 1–3
