SF SKK El Nino Praha secured a valuable 3-1 away victory over Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 in the opening leg of the ETTU Europe Cup Men semi-final, placing themselves in a strong position ahead of the return match on Sunday. The tie opened with a tight battle, as Tomas KONECNY edged past Jens LUNDQVIST in five games, setting the tone for a match expected to be decided by fine margins. David REITSPIES then extended the lead with a composed straight-games win over Anders ERIKSSON, underlining the Czech side’s experience and control. Roskilde responded through Tobias RASMUSSEN, who fought back from two games down to defeat Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA in a dramatic decider, keeping the hosts in contention. However, REITSPIES proved decisive once again, overcoming LUNDQVIST in four games to seal the overall victory for El Nino Praha. “The opening singles match was definitely key. Tomáš KONEČNÝ, who often plays five-set matches against Jens LUNDQVIST, was behind early on, but then the momentum shifted and from that moment we were in control. David REITSPIES was a real anchor for us, and I believe Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA also delivered a strong performance, even though he lost in the shortened deciding set – that can happen. Overall, we were the better team and achieved the result we wanted ahead of the return leg. I hope that on Sunday we can reward our fans, show a strong performance, and secure our place in the final,” said coach Petr KAUCKÝ. As anticipated in the build-up, this semi-final delivered a close and competitive contest, but the Czech side’s consistency and experience made the difference. With the second leg set to be played in Prague, El Nino Praha now hold the advantage as they look to convert it into a place in the final. Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 – SF SKK El Nino Praha 1-3
Real Club Cajasur Priego TM take firm control in Lille
Real Club Cajasur Priego TM took a decisive step towards the final of the ETTU Europe Cup with a commanding 3-0 victory over Lille Metropole TT in the opening leg of the semi-final. Despite expectations of a close encounter, the Spanish side showed composure and experience from the outset. Hampus SODERLUND set the tone with a solid win over Romain BRARD, before Robert GARDOS, fully focused on European competition as highlighted ahead of the tie, delivered a convincing straight-games victory to extend the lead. The third match proved to be the closest of the evening, with Tom CLOSSET pushing Carlos MACHADO to five games. However, the experienced Spanish player held his nerve in the decider to complete a clean sweep for the visitors. “We had a great start with Hampus. He was leading 2-0 and 8-2 before losing that game, but he recovered well, and that was very important for us. We knew that Romain BRARD is very dangerous and capable of winning two points. After that, I was able to control my game and secure the win. Carlos had to finish it, and he played calmly with great experience. At 2-2, he also had a bit of luck on his side. Now we are one step closer to the final,” said Robert GARDOS. MACHADO added: “We are very happy with the team’s performance today. At the same time, we need to stay grounded and quickly refocus on the second leg in Priego in a couple of days.” With a 3-0 advantage secured away from home, Real Club Cajasur Priego TM now head back to Spain in a strong position, where they will look to confirm their place in the final in Sunday’s second leg. Lille Metropole TT – Real Club Cajasur Priego TM 0-3
ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari edge SKST Plus Hodonin in dramatic opener
ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari secured a narrow 3-2 victory over SKST Plus Hodonin in a dramatic opening leg of the ETTU Europe Cup Women semi-final, with the outcome decided in a tense death point. The hosts made a strong start, as Karin GROFOVA defeated Tania PLAIAN to give Hodonin the early lead. However, Cagliari responded through Elizabet ABRAAMIAN and MA Hengyu, turning the tie around with two composed performances to move 2-1 ahead. GROFOVA once again delivered for the Czech side, overcoming ABRAAMIAN to level the match at 2-2 and set up a decisive final encounter. In a thrilling conclusion, Tania PLAIAN held her nerve against Ting Yao LIAO, sealing the victory in a dramatic decider that went down to the final point. “First of all, we are very happy with the win. Once again, our team spirit helped us a lot – and today more than ever. It was a real roller-coaster match. GROFOVA played at an unbelievable level, almost a perfect match, and it was extremely difficult against her. Both Elizabet and I struggled with her style, as she hardly made any mistakes. We tried to adjust our tactics, but it didn’t really work. In the second match, ABRAAMIAN didn’t start well against LIAO, but she gradually found her rhythm, adapted her tactics, and managed to turn the match around. The third match, MA Hengyu against SEVCIKOVA, was also very tough. At first, MA was a bit uncomfortable against the defensive style, but we supported her on every point, and she grew into the match. In my match against LIAO, I went 2-0 up quite comfortably, but then she started to play better and better. I was a bit concerned as I couldn’t find the right solution, but in the end I followed my coach’s advice. From 5-3, I regained confidence and managed to close the match,” said Tania PLAIAN. As highlighted ahead of the tie, Cagliari’s strength in unity and fighting spirit once again proved decisive, while Hodonin showed resilience reminiscent of their quarter-final run. With a slender advantage secured away from home, the Italian side now take a crucial step towards the final ahead of the return leg. SKST Plus Hodonin – ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari 2-3
LINZ AG Froschberg edge opening leg in Spain
LINZ AG Froschberg claimed a valuable 3-2 away victory over MIRÓ Ganxets Costa Durada in the opening leg of the ETTU Europe Cup semi-final, putting themselves in a strong position ahead of the return match scheduled for Saturday 25th April. The Spanish side struck first, with Guo RUICHEN delivering a composed 3-0 win against Britt EERLAND. However, Suthasini SAWETTABUT quickly restored parity, overcoming Olga VOROBEVA in four games to level the tie. A crucial turning point came in the third match, where Ivana MALOBABIC edged past Anastasia KOLISH in a hard-fought five-game encounter, giving Linz a 2-1 lead. Guo RUICHEN responded once again for the hosts, narrowly defeating SAWETTABUT in another decider to bring the teams level at 2-2. In the decisive fifth match, Britt EERLAND held her nerve to secure a 3-1 victory over VOROBEVA, sealing an important away win for the Austrian side. “Yes, I think it was important that we didn’t rush. We knew we were playing well and had a good feeling in the hall. But none of the wins came easy, in a semi-final, nothing is given. In the end, it was a hard-fought and well-deserved victory, and we will aim to bring the same level and spirit on Saturday,” said EERLAND. With a narrow advantage secured on Spanish soil, Linz AG Froschberg will look to finish the job on home ground in the second leg. MIRÓ Ganxets Costa Durada – Linz AG Froschberg 2-3
