The reigning ETTU Champions League holders, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, opened their quarterfinal campaign with an away victory in France, overcoming GV Hennebont TT 3-0 and taking a strong advantage from the opening leg. The three-time Champions League winners made it clear they were leaving nothing to chance, fielding a formidable lineup that included Olympic champion FAN Zhendong, Europe’s current No. 1 Truls MOREGARD and No. 6 Patrick FRANZISKA. MOREGARD gave the guests dream start in the opening singles, defeating Vladimir SIDORENKO 3-1. After dropping the second game, the Swedish star quickly regained control to give Saarbrücken an early lead. The highlight of the evening followed in the second match, where Simon GAUZY, ranked No. 11 in Europe, pushed Olympic and World Champion FAN Zhendong to the absolute limit that thrilled the French crowd. GAUZY produced a spirited and high-quality performance, forcing the Chinese superstar into a deciding fifth game. FAN eventually prevailed 3-2, but not before being tested to the fullest by the French No. 3 in a thrilling encounter. “This was my first time playing in a Champions League quarterfinal,” said FAN Zhendong. “Today I played against Simon Gauzy, and I think we both performed at a very high level. I managed to win the match in a very difficult situation and was able to contribute to the team’s success. I’m really looking forward to the second leg at home and hope that I can keep improving my performances in the Champions League.” In the third singles, FRANZISKA underlined Saarbrücken’s experience with a straight-games victory over Lev KATSMAN, sealing a clean sweep for the German club. “We are very happy. It was a very tough away match in Hennebont, but we are delighted to come through with a 3–0 victory. Everyone was in very good shape, and now we are looking forward to the home match.I am very proud to be part of this team,” said FRANZISKA. With this convincing away success, Saarbrücken have taken a significant step toward another Final Four appearance on their home soil, while GV Hennebont TT will face a challenging task in the return leg as they attempt to overturn the deficit against the reigning champions. GV Hennebont TT (FRA)-1. FC Saarbrücken TT (GER) 0-3
Saint-Denis TT 93 and PGE Fibrain Ku AZS Politechnika Rzeszow Clinch Quarterfinal Spot (VIDEO)
Saint-Denis TT 93’s second victory of the group stage secured their place in the quarterfinals of the ETTU Champions League Women. The French side finished second in Group C after suffering two defeats against reigning champions ttc berlin eastside, while claiming two wins over Linz AG Froschberg. With three victories and one defeat, ttc berlin eastside topped the group standings, as Saint-Denis TT 93 advanced alongside them to the knockout phase. The French side secured a 3-1 home win after a series of close matches, with Prithika PAVADE once again playing a decisive role. She opened the tie with a hard-fought five-game victory over Suthasini SAWETTABUT to give Saint-Denis an early advantage. Hana ARAPOVIC then extended the lead in another dramatic encounter, edging Britt EERLAND in five games. Although Linz responded through Ivana MALOBABIC, who defeated Agathe AVEZOU in four games to keep the Austrian side in contention, Saint-Denis held their nerve in the decisive match. PAVADE returned to the table and sealed the victory with a four-game win against EERLAND, confirming Saint-Denis TT 93’s second triumph of the stage, both achieved against Linz AG Froschberg. In Group C, reigning champions ttc berlin eastside concluded Stage 2 at the top of the standings with three wins and one defeat, their only loss coming against Linz AG Froschberg. Quarterfinal places have already been secured by Group A winners KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg and runners-up Saint-Quentin TT, as well as the top two teams from Group D, UCAM Cartagena T.M and Étival ASRTT, as the ETTU Champions League Women moves toward the knockout phase. Saint-Denis TT 93 (FRA)-Linz AG Froschberg (AUT) 3-1 Rzeszow Close Group B Campaign with Win as Metz Finish Top PGE Fibrain Ku AZS Politechnika Rzeszow closed their ETTU Champions League Women Group B campaign with a straight matches victory, overcoming ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari in the final group match. Heading into the encounter, the Italian side had recorded one win from three matches, while the Polish club were still searching for their first victory. With qualification hopes already decided, the final round produced a tight battle for positions, and Rzeszow finished Stage 2 on a positive note. Zuzanna WIELGOS gave the hosts a strong start, defeating Miriam CARNOVALE 3-1 with an assured performance. The key moment came in the second singles, where Ilona SZTWIERTNIA edged Tania PLAIAN in a dramatic five-game encounter to extend Rzeszow’s lead. The tie was sealed by LI Fen, who held her nerve in another five-game battle against MA Hengyu, winning the decisive game to complete a straight-match victory for the Polish side. In Group B, Metz TT concluded Stage 2 at the top of the standings with a flawless record of four wins from four matches, underlining their dominance and securing first place in the group. PGE Fibrain Ku AZS Politechnika Rzeszow (POL)-ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari (ITA) 3-0
El Nino Praha, Sokah Hoboken, Lille Metropole, Pontoise Cergy and Vyhne Secured Quarterfinal
SF SKK El Nino Praha completed a dominant Round of 16 performance with a convincing 3-0 home victory over Enoli Borges Vall in the second leg, confirming their place in the quarterfinals. David REITSPIES set the pace with a composed straight-games win against Francesc CARRERA, before Tomas KONECNY doubled the advantage by overcoming Joan MASIP in four games. The tie was completed without difficulty as Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA was awarded a walkover in the final singles. Petr Kaucký, coach of El Niňo Praha, reflected on the qualification:“We took an important step toward qualification already in Spain, where the opponent started with Marc Duran, but Tomáš Konečný gave him no chance. We didn’t know that our opponents would be able to field only two players, which allowed them to play a bit more freely. Last season we reached the final, and now we are in the quarterfinals. It’s great news for our fans, who will once again have the opportunity to see top-quality players in action.” Return leg SF SKK El Nino Praha – Enoli Borges Vall 3–0 Opening leg Enoli Borges Vall – SF SKK El Nino Praha 0-3 Sokah Hoboken Advance to Face El Nino Praha TTC Sokah Hoboken secured their place in the quarterfinals, where they will meet SF SKK El Nino Praha, after recorded victory over UTTC Paneceo Stockerau. Following a 3-1 away victory in the opening leg in Austria, the Belgian side left no room for doubt in the return match, recording a dominant 3-0 win at home to seal progression among the last eight. Remi BETELU set the tone with a solid 3-1 victory over Aidos KENZIGULOV, before Benjamin BROSSIER extended Hoboken’s lead with another four-game success against Mykhailo LOVHA. The tie was completed in style as Quentin ROBINOT delivered a dominant straight-games win over David SERDAROGLU, underlining Hoboken’s strength on home soil. Return leg TTC Sokah Hoboken – UTTC Paneceo Stockerau 3-0 Opening leg UTTC Paneceo Stockerau – TTC Sokah Hoboken 1-3 Pontoise Cergy Set Up Quarterfinal Clash with Roskilde AS Pontoise Cergy TT also booked their place in the quarterfinals of the ETTU Europe Cup, where they will face Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61. In the Round of 16 they overcame 3-0 SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt in the second leg. Having edged the opening leg 3-2 at home, the French side delivered a composed and authoritative performance in Austria to remove any doubts about their progression. Thomas LAROCHE led the way, surviving a dramatic five-game battle against Piotr CYRNEK after coming back from two games down. Alexandre CASSIN then doubled the advantage with a straight-games win over Peter HRIBAR, showing great composure in the tight moments. The match was sealed by Flavio MOURIER, who produced a commanding performance to defeat Jürgen MULLNER in straight games. Return leg SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt – AS Pontoise Cergy TT 0–3 Opening leg AS Pontoise Cergy TT (FRA) – SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt (AUT) 3–2 Lille Metropole TT Seal Quarterfinal Spot with Confident Win in Havirov Lille Metropole TT confirmed their place in the quarterfinals with a 3-0 away victory over SKST Havirov, completing a Round of 16 tie without dropping a match. In the next stage they will meet STK Vyhne. After winning the opening leg 3-0 at home, the French side showed the same level of control in Havirov. Fabio RAKOTOARIMANANA set the tone with a composed straight-games win against Michal BLINKA, handling the key moments well despite resistance from the home player, particularly in the second game. Tom CLOSSET then doubled Lille’s advantage with another solid 3-0 performance, this time against Daniel KOSTAL, before Romain BRARD closed the tie in emphatic fashion by defeating Jakub MAKARA in straight games to seal a clean sweep for the visitors. SKST Havirov-Lille Metropole TT 0-3 Opening leg Lille Metropole TT (FRA) – SKST Havirov (CZE) 3-0 STK Vyhne Snatch Narrow 3-2 Away Win in Białystok STK Vyhne edged Dojlidy Białystok 3-2 in a close away encounter, deciding the tie in the final match. The visitors took an early advantage through Adam KLAJBER and Filip SZYMANSKI, before the hosts responded thanks to a dominant win by Piotr CHODORSKI. Patryk CHOJNOWSKI then levelled the score with a solid four-game victory, setting up a decisive final match. In the closing match, KLAJBER returned to overcome Piotr MICHALSKI, sealing the win for STK Vyhne. Dojlidy Białystok-STK Vyhne 2-3 Opening leg STK Vyhne – Dojlidy Białystok 3-1
Priego Seal Quarterfinal Spot to Set Up Clash with HB Ostrov z.s.
Real Club Cajasur Priego TM booked their place in the quarterfinals of the ETTU Europe Cup, where they will face reigning champions HB Ostrov z.s, after overturning a narrow deficit from the opening leg with a convincing 3–1 home victory over ASD Marcozzi Cagliari. After losing the first leg 3–2 in Italy, the Spanish side delivered a strong performance in Priego de Córdoba, winning the tie on aggregate and confirming their progression among the last eight. Real Club Cajasur Priego TM made an excellent start in the return leg as Hampus SODERLUND put the hosts in front with a hard-fought 3–1 victory over Jeet CHANDRA. The Swede showed great resilience, especially in the tight fourth game, which he edged 15–13 to give Priego early momentum. Veteran Carlos MACHADO then extended the lead with a commanding straight-games win against Carlo ROSSI, displaying his experience and control in key moments to put the Spanish side firmly in charge of the tie. Marcozzi responded through Federico VALLINO, who produced a convincing 3–0 victory over Alejandro CALVO to keep the Italian club in contention and briefly revive hopes of another dramatic outcome. However, Priego’s progress was sealed in the fourth singles, as SODERLUND returned to the table and defeated ROSSI 3–1. Real Club Cajasur Priego TM – ASD Marcozzi Cagliari 3–1 Opening leg ASD Marcozzi Cagliari – Real Club Cajasur Priego TM 3–2
