The list of players for the Round of 16 of the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup was completed after the opening day matches at the Omnisports venue in Montreux. Eight players in each category battled for the two remaining places that secured qualification among the top 16. In the women’s event, the successful qualifiers were Annett KAUFMANN of Germany and Charlotte LUTZ of France. In the men’s competition, Tomislav PUCAR of Croatia and Alvaro ROBLES of Spain claimed the available spots. Anna HURSEY of Wales put Annett KAUFMANN under heavy pressure in the deciding match today. HURSEY dominated the opening game and disrupted KAUFMANN’s rhythm, but on her debut the German player kept her composure and secured her first qualification for the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup main draw. KAUFMANN approached the round of 16 calmly after reaching her interim goal: “For me, everything from now on is a bonus. RAKOVAC and HURSEY were strong adversaries today; those were not easy matches. That’s why I’m especially pleased that, in my Europe Top 16 debut, I managed to reach the main draw with a good performance. Let’s see how the draw turns out tomorrow. I just hope I won’t have to play against one of my four national team teammates.” Tomislav PUCAR advanced to the main draw after overcoming Daniel HABESOHN of Austria and Iulian CHIRITA of Romania. After a very tight opening game against CHIRITA, the Croatian found his breakthrough. “The first game was probably the most important part of the match. The opening exchanges are always difficult, but I managed to take control early. When it reached 9–9, it felt like a crucial moment, and winning that first game gave me a mental advantage. The second game was also very close, but I stayed focused and managed to close it out. After going 2–0 up, it became harder for CHIRITA to come back. I had a strong start and finished the match well. It has been another long day here,” said PUCAR. Speaking about his duel with HABESOHN, PUCAR added: “The first match was excellent. I lost to HABESOHN here last year, so it’s never easy to play against him. If you give him a little time, he knows how to use it and win points, so it was important to be precise and aggressive, which I managed to do today. I closed the opening two games before he managed to swing the momentum back his way. That’s table tennis — at the end of a game it often comes down to courage and a bit of luck. I handled the closing moments well. In the third game I didn’t have a big lead, he caught up with me, but I managed to turn it around. It was 9–7, and thankfully I was able to close it.” Playing in her CCB Europe Top 16 Cup debut, Charlotte LUTZ of France defeated Izabela LUPULESKU of Serbia and Rachel MORET of Switzerland to secure her place among the top 16 players. “I was a little stressed this morning because it was my first match at the Top 16 and I really wanted to qualify for the main draw. Despite the nerves, I managed to play very well. Even though I lost the first game, I gained confidence as the match went on and came back to win 3–1. I’m very happy with how I performed and I hope tomorrow will be even better and that I can go further in the competition,” said LUTZ. Reflecting on her match against LUPULESKU, which also went to four games, LUTZ added: “I had some problems at the beginning of the match and struggled with my receive. I tried to adjust immediately in the second game to regain control, and it worked well. I also focused on putting more balls on the table because my opponent plays very early, which sometimes causes me difficulties. I changed my approach and it proved effective.” Alvaro ROBLES defeated João GERALDO of Portugal and Pedro OSIRO of Switzerland to book his place among the top 16 players at the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup. “This morning’s match was very difficult. First of all, it’s never easy to come through qualification and reach the top 16. I had a tough match against Pedro OSIRO, it was 1–1 and very close. He was playing really well and very relaxed, but I stayed focused on turning the match in my favor. After that victory my main priority was to recover and refocus for the next match two hours later,” said ROBLES. He added: “I didn’t have the best feeling after the first match and needed to reset my game. I went for a walk and cleared my mind, enjoying the beautiful surroundings, and that helped me prepare again. I’m very satisfied with the result because João is a great player and I lost to him not long ago. That makes this win even more important for me, and I’m pleased to have progressed.” Qualification round Opening round All matches of the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup will be available live worldwide on ETTU.tv and YouTube ETTU official, except in the following countries and territories, where specific broadcast agreements apply and access is restricted (geo-blocked). In these regions, fans should follow the tournament exclusively on the official local broadcasters listed here. See the pictures by Remi GROS here.

The qualification stage of the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup got underway today at the Omnisports venue in Montreux. On Thursday, eight players in both the Men’s and Women’s events are competing for the final two places in the Round of 16. The qualification is played over two rounds, with the winners of the second round securing their spots in the main draw. All matches of the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup will be available live worldwide on ETTU.tv and YouTube ETTU official, except in the following countries and territories, where specific broadcast agreements apply and access is restricted (geo-blocked). In these regions, fans should follow the tournament exclusively on the official local broadcasters listed here. See the pictures by Remi GROS here. In the opening round, top seed Anna HURSEY of Wales recorded a swift straight-games victory over Georgina POTA of Hungary 11-6, 11-4, 11-8 . Annett KAUFMANN came under early pressure in her match against Lea RAKOVAC of Croatia. After narrowly losing the opening game, the German player quickly imposed her dominance and took control of the contest. In a closely contested encounter, Tomislav PUCAR of Croatia secured a straight-games victory over Daniel HABESOHN of Austria, despite the narrow margins in each game. PUCAR held his composure in the key moments to seal a 3-0 win and move forward in the competition. Iulian CHIRITA of Romania and Andrej GACINA of Croatia delivered the closest match in the morning program. Following a dominant start by CHIRITA, GACINA mounted a strong comeback, taking control with precise placement and sharp angles from corner to corner to force a decider. The Croatian led 9-4 in the final game, but CHIRITA responded with an impressive late surge, leveling the score and closing out the match to prevail 3-1 (11-8, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9). Izabela LUPULESKU became the first Serbian woman in this century to compete at the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup and marked her appearance in style. On her debut, she defeated Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania in four games to secure a memorable victory. Last time someone from Serbia was on the list was in 1992, when Gordana PERKUCIN represented Yugoslavia. Charlotte LUTZ of France disappointed the home supporters by overcoming Switzerland’s Rachel MORET in straight games, delivering a confident performance to advance. Kristian KARLSSON of Sweden fought back from a two-game deficit to force a decider against João GERALDO of Portugal in one of the closest and most entertaining matches of the day, highlighted by a series of powerful rallies. The deciding game remained level until 6-6, when GERALDO held his nerve in the closing stages to secure victory. Álvaro ROBLES of Spain completed the opening round with a victory over Pedro OSIRO of Switzerland. The host nation representative gave the crowd reason to cheer by taking the opening game, but ROBLES quickly leveled the score. The final two games were closely contested, with the Spaniard holding firm to secure the win. Opening round Georgina POTA of Hungary – Anna HURSEY of Wales 0-3 (6-11, 4-11, 8-11) Annett KAUFMANN of Germany – Lea RAKOVAC of Croatia 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6) Daniel HABESOHN of Austria – Tomislav PUCAR of Croatia 0-3 (8-11, 11-13, 9-11) Andrej GACINA of Croatia – Iulian CHIRITA of Romania 1-3 (8-11, 7-11, 11-5, 9-11) Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania – Izabela LUPULESKU of Serbia 1-3 (9-11, 11-6, 5-11, 8-11) Rachel MORET of Switzerland – Charlotte LUTZ of France 0-3( 5-11, 4-11, 5-11) Joao GERALDO of Portugal – Kristian KARLSSON of Sweden 3-2 (11-5, 13-11, 5-11, 5-11, 11-8) Alvaro ROBLES of Spain – Pedro OSIRO of Switzerland 3-1 (9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-8)

One year after ending one of the most dominant recent reigns in the history of the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup, defending champion Alexis LEBRUN of France returns to Montreux with renewed confidence, greater experience, and the same hunger to compete at the very top. With the main draw commencing tomorrow, Europe’s elite once again gather for one of the season’s most prestigious stages. After reaching the semi-finals in 2024, the French star produced a breakthrough performance in 2025, defeating Darko JORGIC in the final to stop the Slovenian’s run of three consecutive titles and claim his first CCB Europe Top 16 Cup crown. Now, ahead of his third appearance at the iconic event from 5 to 8 February, he embraces the challenge of coming back as the player everyone wants to beat. “It always feels very nice to come back after winning a title. I am very happy to play again in Montreux and I hope I will have a great tournament this year,” said LEBRUN. The past twelve months have been a period of steady success. European champion in singles and doubles in 2024, he also added the team crown to his growing list of achievements. “A lot of things have happened, but I think I learned a lot during the last year. I tried to improve some aspects of my game, so I hope it will work.” That growth has been reflected in his recent results, but he remains cautious, aware that form can shift quickly at an event as intense as the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup. “I feel good, but every tournament is different, so I will try my best to make a good tournament.” Few events in European table tennis offer the same atmosphere as Montreux. The unique format, the full stands, and the proximity of the crowd create a pressure cooker that leaves no room for mistakes. “It’s always perfect conditions in a beautiful place with a full crowd, so it’s always a pleasure to play this tournament.” With only Europe’s elite invited, every round feels like a final. “It’s just the top European players, so of course it’s very strong. It’s very exciting to fight with so many strong players for the title and I will take a lot of pleasure.” Despite the growing expectations that follow him, the reigning champion remains focused on his own path, refusing to be distracted by labels or predictions. “I am just focused on myself and I want to continue my way.” That mindset also extends to his approach to the season ahead. “This tournament is one of the important ones in my season, so I will prepare and practice a lot to be able to play my best. It’s a special place for table tennis and for the Top 16, so I am very happy to play here.” As the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup returns, the story comes full circle. The champion is back, no longer the challenger, but the reference point. And once again, Europe will be watching. Men’s event In the Men’s event will play Truls MOREGARD of Sweden, Alexis LEBRUN of France, Felix LEBRUN of France, Darko JORGIC of Slovenia, Benedikt DUDA of Germany, Patrick FRANZISKA of Germany, Dang QIU of Germany, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV of Germany, Anton KALLBERG of Sweden, Anders LIND of Denmark, Simon GAUZY of France, Jonathan GROTH of Denmark, Marcos FREITAS of Portugal, Eduard IONESCU of Romania. Qualification Stage – Men Alvaro ROBLES of Spain, Andrej GACINA of Croatia, Milosz REDZIMSKI of Poland, Tomislav PUCAR of Croatia, Kristian KARLSSON of Sweden, Daniel HABESOHN of Austria, Joao GERALDO of Portugal and Pedro OSIRO of Switzerland. Reserve players Iulian CHIRITA of Romania, Thibault PORET of France, Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany, Martin ALLEGRO of Belgium, Adrien RASSENFOSSE of Belgium, Luka MLADENOVIC of Luxembourg, and Ovidiu IONESCU of Romania. Women’s event In the Women’s event will play Sabine WINTER of Germany, Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria, Bernadette SZOCS of Romania, Ying HAN of Germany, Jia Nan YUAN of France, Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania, Prithika PAVADE of France, Jieni SHAO of Portugal, Nina MITTELHAM of Germany, Linda BERGSTROM of Sweden, Fu YU of Portugal, Maria XIAO of Spain, Natalia BAJOR of Poland, Xiaona SHAN of Germany. Qualification Stage Anna HURSEY of Wales, Annett KAUFMANN of Germany, CharlotteLUTZ of France, Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania, Izabela LUPULESKU of Serbia, Lea RAKOVAC of Croatia, Georgina POTA of Hungary, Rachel MORET of Switzerland. Reserve players Christina KALLBERG of Sweden, Giorgia PICCOLIN of Italy, Britt EERLAND of the Netherlands, Yuan WAN of Germany, Gaia MONFARDINI of Italy, Adina DIACONU of Romania, and Ivana MALOBABIC of Croatia.